Hymns Of The Alvars -jmscooper

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7HE HERITAGE OF Planned by

Joint Editors

N. FARQUHAR, M.A., D.Litt. (Oxon.), D.D. (Aberdeen).

J.

fThe Right Reverend V. S. AZARIAH, LL.D. (Cantab.), Bishop of Dornakal. " ^' ^" BEWICK, M.A. (Cantab.) N, C. GANGULY, M.A. (Birmingham), ;

.

Darsan-Sastri.

Already published. The Heart of Buddhism.

K.

J.

SAUNDERS, M.A., D.Litt. (Cantab.) E. P. RICE, B. A. ed.

A History of Kanarese Literature, 2nd

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Psalms of Maratha Saints.

NICOL MACXICOX, M.A.,

A History of Hindi Literature,

F. E.

KEAY,

D.Litt.

M.A., D.Litt.

Tne Karma-Mlmamsa. A. BERRTEDALE KEITH, D.C.L., D.Litt. (Oxon.) Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints- F. KINGSBURY, B.A., and G. E. PHILLIPS, M.A.

Hymns

from the Ri^eda.

A. A.

LL.D. Gautama Buddha.

MACDOKELL,

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K. J. SAUNDERS, M.A., D.Litt. (Cantab.) The Coins of India. C. J. BROWN, M.A. Poeim by Indian Women. MRS. MACNICOL Bengili Religious Lyrics, Sakta. EDWARD THOLIPSON and A. M. .

SPENCER. Classical Sanskrit Literature,

D Litt.

(

2nd ed. A. BERRIEDALE KEITH, D.C.L.,

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RAJA M. BHXTJANGA

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KaDindraaath Tagore, 2nd ed.

EDWARB THOMPSON,

proposed and volumes und$r HISTORY AND THE HERITAGE. The Early Period. The Gupta Period. Mogul Period,

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M-A.

preparation.

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HE PHILOSOPHIES. A

Introduction to

Hindu Philosophy.

J.

N. FAROJDHAR and

Principal JOHN MCKEXZIE, Bombay. Selections from the Upanishads. M. H. HARRISON, Jaffna. The System or the Pali Buddhist Books. Prof. V. LESNY

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ReE^ons Lyrics, Vaishnava. A. M. SPENCER.

Bengali

Malay slam Devorlonal

Literature.

EDWARD THOMPSON C. E.

ABRAHAM,

and

B.D.,

Serarspore,

HISTORIES OF

VERNACULAR LITERATURE.

Bengali. C. S. Gujarat!.

PATERSOX, M.A., Calcutta.

^^ ~"

MaratM. Tamil.

T. K. JOSEPH, B.A., L.T., Trivandrum. T. GRAHAME BAILEY, D.Litt, Bnrmese, Prof. TUNG PE> Rangoon.

Malayalam. Urdti.

VARIOUS. Indian Temple Legends. Indian Astronomy and

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EDITORIAL PREFACE Finally,

brethren,

whatsoever

whatsoever things

are

true,

are

honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of things

good report if there be any virtue, and any praise, think on these things. ;

No

section of

if

fftere

be

the population of India can afford to

The treasures of knowledge, wisdom, and beauty which are contained in her literature, philosophy, art, and regulated life are too precious to be lost. Every citizen of India needs to use them, if he is to be a cultured modern Indian. This is as true of the Chrisneglect her ancient heritage.

the Muslim, the Zoroastrian as of the Hindu. But, while the heritage of India has been largely explored by scholars, and the results of their toil are laid out for us in tian,

books, they cannot be said to be really available for the The volumes are in most cases expensive, ordinary man.

and are often technical and difficult. Hence this series of cheap books has been planned by a group of Christian men, in order that every educated Indian, whether rich or poor, may be able to find his way into the treasures of India's past. Many Europeans, both in India and elsewhere, will doubtless be glad to use the series.

The utmost

care is being taken

in selecting writers,

and

by the General Editors

in passing

manuscripts for the every book two tests are rigidly applied everything must be scholarly, and everything must be press.

To

pathetic.

:

The purpose is

treasuries, so that

it

sym-

to bring the best out of the ancient

may be known,

enjoyed, and used.

ft

f\

f

THE HERITAGE OF INDIA SERIES

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS J,

S. (

late

M.

HOOPER, M.A.

@

(Oxon.)

Scholar of Corpus Chrtsti College, Oxford ; Principal of Wesl&y College, Madras]

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ASSOCIATION PRESS 5

RUSSELL STREET, CALCUTTA

LONDON: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK, TORONTO, MELBOURNE BOMBAY, CALCUTTA & MADRAS 1929

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To THE MEMORY OF R. M. H.

MARCH

4ra, 1878

MARCH

21sT 1918 5

PREFACE IT has not been easy to decide the principle on which to amount of material available In the

select iroin the large

Hymns

of the Alvars.

It

would have been comparatively

simple to choose nothing- but pieces naturally attractive, an anthology of the best according to a Western literary stan-

dard

;

but

It

has seemed to

me more

valuable to attempt

an impression of other elements which have not so frequently found their way from Indian languages into English. This Is one of the reasons for including the very difficult TiruppaUandU) and for giving what would other-

to convey

wise appear disproportionate space to the last two selections which are suffithe Tiruppavai and the Tiruvirultam ciently long to give the Western reader a consecutive view of the qualities of the hymns and of the type of devotion fostered by them. The stanzas are numbered throughout

as la the original Tamil. metrical form, rather than prose, has been chosen for

A

of the translations, because it appears to me that the strong emotional element in the hymns is better brought out In verse than in prose. But no attempt has been made to reproduce the metres of the original Tamil, which are alto-

most

gether foreign to English ears, and the actual forms used have no relation to any Tamil verse forms.. Among those to whom I am under obligations in connection with this little book, I would specially refer to Dr. J. N. 5

Farquhar, the planner of the Heritage of India series. It was at his Instance that I undertook this work, and his zeal

HYMXS OP THE ALVARS

4 a

movement

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-,tna: ^

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a

names stand cut: the

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movement a tew great Bhagavad Giia^ Ramanujacharya, In

incus.

in

asd the founders of the later sects in North India which owe their inspiration to him, may be taken as the landmarks, sc far as the Yaishnavite movement is concerned while on a line of its own, owing its inspiration very largely to the GHZ, but ^directing its devotion to Siva rather than to Vishnu, is the Saivite bhakti movement, with lit hymns of the Dfczram and the Tiruvachakam* Bhakti Itself, the attitude of fervent devotion to Gcd ? may of course be found wherever men turn in eagerness of desire, or in extremity of despair, away from themselves and their own reasonings to the One : but the historical student has to be content with such references to this attitude and experience * as ne can nnc in literature and ntuai. Thus* before the Glia^ it has been pointed out that in the Yedas, the grace of Yamna already provides the ground for such loving devotion as is later to find expression in the bhakti movement In the later literature of *hp Brahmanas (? 800-500 B.C.) Yishnu, though only :

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Ti

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i

many

gods, already has something of the attracmarks the sun-gods in many mythologies It is significant that if there is any error in the ritual of sacrifice, it is Yishnu who is invoked. In the ritual of marriage, too, he has an important place, and thus comes near to man in the most intimate and friendly relations of life. By far the most important reference to Yishnn in this connection is the legend which was later to find a place as the story of one of the ten avataras of Yishim the legend of how he, when all the other ~,Tt

,e

e,i

tiveness that

gods were helpless, redeemed the earth from the Asuras. He was the dwarf Yarnana who was contemptuously offered as

much

of the earth as he could compass in three strides. Straightway he swelled to the form of Tri-Vikrama, and with Ms first step bestrode the earth, with a second the highest heaven, and then failing to find a place for the third stride, he placed his foot on the head of Bali, the king of the demons, Visbm thus stands out from among his**fellowgods as the oae who actually did something for the redemption of the world, the one upon whose grace, therefore, man

GENERAL INTRODUCTION has some right to count. How far this view o Vishnu coherently held in the days before the appearance of Gild is a question that would carry us far beyond the S but in any case the Gita, took of our present study ;

and gave background. belief

it

literary

form and a more

The Bhagavad Gita (200 B.C.-A.D. 200} whateve sources from which it sprang, is for all practical purpOses the source of the bhakti movement in India. It contains elements philosophically irreconcilable with one another and inconsistent with what are commonly held to K! the fundamentals of Indian thought, but from the first its position has been sure it speaks to the heart of man, an<3 offers salvation to all the four castes on terms that Q readily understood. Its teaching has been used to buttress many later theories of God and the universe, but for the purpose of our enquiry it will be enough to point out three or four lines laid down in it, which the later movement has steadily followed. In the first place, it takes the Absolute, the Atnian of the Upamskads, and identifies it with Vishnu, of the gods of the pantheon, hitherto at most on a level Brahma and Siva. Vishnu and the Absolute are now vertible terms, and the Absolute becomes a gracious to some extent, knowable God. In the second place, it the warrior Krishna, who has hitherto been at most a partial incarnation of Vishnu, and makes him a full inc tion; he that has seen Krishna has seen Vishnu, seen the Absolute. In the third place, it lays down as a ,

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of release

from rebirth (which release remains

the goal of religious endeavour ; though in the the Alvars, as we shall see, there are hints of another possible goal), a method that is open to all. The of Knowledge, Jndna Marga, as prescribed in the shads, is recognised as limited to the few. The

effective,

but

it

is

of Works, Karma is recognised, and if prescribed duties are done \vithout desire for reward, and without attachment to the fruits of the action, release will come. But as efective as either of them is the new Way of Devotion to Krishna

Way

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HVMXS OF THE ALVARS

6

Bkakti Mdrga. These who have followed the Bhakti Marga have contemplated the attractive figure of Krishna, and froir many sides devotion has been lavished on him. He has made his appeal to the devout and to the sensuous sin and realike, and in the love of Krishna, time and space, birth* have alike been forgotten. This has been a sufficient to those who have enquired c-QSpel for many eager souls but hew this comforting message can be reconciled with the Upanishad doctrine of an impersonal, actionless Absolute, the Gita has had no satisfactory answer to give. The two the thinker, in the main, conceptions are left side by side has been content to take the Upanishad doctrine as the food of his mind, while he has found emotional satisfaction in paving homage to a god incarnate, come to earth to help ;

:

in his need he has tried not to notice the dissidence while for the ordinary man the emotional satisfaction has been everything. It was not until many centuries had passed that in Ramanuia the bhakti movement found a competent philosophical exponent. He attempted what to some appears the impossible task of reconciling in thought the conception of the impersonal Absolute and the gracious Helper of men; and he succeeded in the Visishtadvaita philosophy which he formulated, in providing the strongest alternative to the philosophy of Sankaracharya which has been allowed to retain the reputation of orthodoxy. From Ramaaujacharya as from a reservoir into which earlier streams had poured* the many subsequent bhakti movements branch out again, some with more of emotion, some with less ; but al alike in accepting as substantially true his theory of the relation between God and man and the

man

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universe.

The work of the AMlrs falls into its place between the Glta and Ramamija. |rhe Alvars provided the soil out of

which Ramanuja's teaching naturally sprang, and in which later it cotdd bear fruit. He is not really (as has been erroneously asserted) the morning star* of the bhakti movement that is a name far more fitly given to the Alvars but *

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shir^Jn the full splendour of a. great philoAlvars in their hymns assume the sophical exposition.

in him, bhakti

GENERAL INTRODUCTION of the Glta with regard to Vishnu and Krishna, nd in the type of devotion which they represent and stimulate they maintain bhakti as the great way of

po sition

salvation.

The

period during which they appear to have flourished which South India made its chief contributions to the religious life of the country. From the seventh to the ninth centuries of the Christian era, not only they, but also the curiously parallel Saivite singers, emphasised bhakti, while at the same time (A.D. 788-850) Sankaracharya was enunciating the Advaita philosophy, with its relentless emphasis on an Absolute without attributes, and the unreality of all manifestation. The bhaktas, holding a view ultimately inconsistent with this, were continually drawn is

that in

away

into this pantheistic position,

and in their hymns

we

can trace the same inconsistency as is to be noted in the Git ft itself. Before giving some account of the Alvars and their work, it will be well to consider briefly some of the other elements in the religious atmosphere which they breathed. We have seen that the thought of the Glta was one of the chief elements, but there was also in the early centuries the strong influence of the Buddhist and Jain movements. For our purpose it is not necessary to treat these separately. Both appear to have been in the nature of reactions against the attributeless Absolute by those who felt that if such be the Supreme Being, practical atheism is the only logical conclusion for men to come to. Both were strongly ethical and offered a way of salvation open to all, as distinguished

from the narrow limits imposed by Hindu orthodoxy. The critical note was also struck by Buddhism and Jainism, and in this respect they opened the way to the later reform movements. There are two other respects in which they may be said to have prepared the way for the bhakti movement (1) they used the vernaculars, and thus made a direct and successful appeal to the masses, a course in which they were followed by both the Saivite and the Vaishrtavite bhaktas; and (2) they so completely moralised religion, excluding from it all the emotional glow that comes from devotion to God, and making it a matter of pure ethical :

8

HYMX5 OF THE ALYARS

teaching, that the hungry human heart was ready to turn to a religion thai would give it someone to love and worship.

There was also the Advaita philosophy, dominant then and dominant still in Indian thoughi hut here it is only necessary to touch on two or three of the points in which According to it the it is particularly related to our subject. for only so of the is Deliverance of Knowledge, Way Way can the "bondage of ignorance, producing the illusion of reality, be removed. Through ignorance comes rebirth, and man and god alike are bound by Karma all action works itsel; cut with impersonal justice, and there is no room for ;

;

anything else. Thus bhakti, in Impossible, both because the

any

really valuable sense, is

Supreme Being

is

without

unknowable, unapproachable, unapproaching, and because of this reign of ire personal retributive law, Bhakti involves a mutual relationship of love and trust, a relationship which to be valuable must be between the human soul and the One with whom finally we have to deal. But the utmost that is allowed in the Advaita system, and the Upanishads as expounded by it, is that Vishnu is a special form 01 the Absolute, worship of whom may be permitted as a concession to human weakness, until with full knowledge attributes,

this illusion also disappears, and the One is all and in all. It is clear that a bhakti regarded thus from the superior eleva-

tion of philosophic enlightenment holds its position by a very insecure tenure ; and it is this that bhakti has had to contend with, and from this that the Visishtadvaita philosophy aimed to deliver it. The philosophy, implicit in much of the work of the Alvars, and explicit in Ranianuja, maintains the personal existence of the Supreme Being, and emphasises his love and pity for the sinful beings who adore him. He is able to grant them an abode of eternal bliss in conscious communion with himself ; while God alone exists and all else is manifestation, that manifestation (because God is immanent in it) real and permanent, though subject throughout to the control of the one Brahman. These permanent and real attributes are chit (individual souls) and achit* (matter). They are incapable of existing alone, and so do aot interfere with the non-duality of the Absolute. .They find their real

is

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esistence in association with God.

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GENERAL INTRODUCTION

9

Side by side with philosophy was the practice of polyworship. The remote Absolute of the philosophers was clearly ill-suited to satisfy the craving of human affection for a god near at hand, and, perhaps even less, the imperative need of a god who could still the disorder of human fear. Hinduism as it developed tolerated as of at theistic

,

temporary value, the aboriginal cults in which men had found some satisfaction for these needs and thus we find an increasing number of local legends of the gods incorporated into Hinduism through the Pur anas and attached to the greater gods of the pantheon. In particular, from the standpoint of this study, is to be noted the movement associated with the Pancharatras in the early centuries A.D. This was among the higher castes, and emphasised the worship of Vishnu in temples and by means of images, with an ancient non-Vedic ritual. It marked a great advance on indiscriminate poly theism in that it insisted on all worship being directed to Vishnu even the other gods of the pantheon were excluded, Narayana (identified with Vishnu) the primal cause, alone being the object of worship. This sect was for these reasons criticised as unorthodox "but it has always claimed orthodoxy, and has maintained caste and the observance of Vedic forms in domestic

least

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worship.

Mention must also be made of the similar cult of Saivism exercising at approximately the same time a very profound influence in South India. The two movements were directed towards rival gods, and to that extent were obviously rivals, and at times even enemies of each other ; but, from another standpoint, they were most potent allies, both making a popular religious appeal through the use of the vernaculars, both insisting on an exclusive devotion to one god, and emphasising his grace, on the one hand, and the privilege of man's loving devotion, on the other. In the Alvar hymns there are references to all these types of religion and thought, and it is impossible to appreciate the emphasis of the hymns without remembering the conflict in the midst of which they were produced _ There are three main sources of our knowledge of the Alvars. First, the legendary lives of the saints these are, ;

HYICsS OF THE

i:

ALVARS **

contemporary with Ramanuja, ana are therecenturies later than the events they profess to relate, so that they cannot be relied upon If contemporary evidence contradicts them. They are, nevertheless, of great

at the earnest,

fore

some

interest as being among the earliest attempts at the writing of histcry in South India. It is significant that they come

contributions begin to be made to religion had In the main gone its way with no outstanding names but that of Buddha ; It had been an evolution of thought rather than a succession of prophets ; but now the devotion of disciples was anxious to preserve every detail of the life and teaching of the revered guru, and these lives are the result They obviously contain a large admixture of Imagination but they represent thought which was current in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and which Is current to-day among devout ri-

when personal

;

hitherto Indian religion

Vaishnavas. In the second place there are contemporary Inscriptions on stone or metal. The study of these by competent epigraphists is yielding valuable results, and will increasingly serve to check conclusions reached by other means. In the third place, there Is Jiterary evidence gathered from the surviving works of the Alvars themselves, as embodied in the collection of their hymns known as the Nalayira Prabandkamtios; Collection of Four Thousand.- These Tamil hymns were gathered together by Nathamuni, (d. AJX 920) who also made arrangements for their use In temple worship. The hymns contain evidence of great value for the subject matter of devotion; but the data for establishing chronology are scanty and have Mtherto been Insufficiently explored for full agreement between scholars to have been reached* The field of disagreement has been narrowed down but how wide it has been may be judged from the fact that while the traditional dates for the Alvars are 42032706 B.C. the first estimates of western scholarship placed them subsequent to Ramanuja, who died in A.D. 1137. Caldwell, Seshagiri Sastri, Mouier Williams, and even the article in the latest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica are all agreed on the later date. Apart, however, from those who ;

to the traditional dates, there Is

now agreement

that

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

11

*,

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the Alvars were predecessors of Raraanuja, and the ences of opinion are only as to their relative positions, as to the period to which the earliest of them belong, Professor S. Krishnaswamy Aiyangar appears inclined, to place the four earliest Alvars in the second century A.B. but in the judgment of the present writer the evidence for this is lacking, and a considerably later date, the middle of the :

seventh century, must be assigned to them. The late Mr. T. A. Gopinatha Rao has pointed out that one of the early Alvars, Bhutattalvar, makes reference to Mamallai as the place of his birth. This is clearly Mahabalipuram (The Seven Pagodas), established as a seaport by thePailava king, Narasiibhavarmaa l,surnamed Mahamalla, in the middle of the seventh century. This carries with it a later date for Bhutattalvar and his contemporaries, Pey Alvar and Poykai Alvar. In the chronology that is here adopted, Gopinatha Rao has been followed, though it has not been thought necessary to give the detailed evidence that he brings in support of his conclusions. In any case the chronology is so disputed that in this introduction no theories are based upon its details,

and no attempt is made to trace any progression of thought from the earlier to the later. As to the main order of the Alvars, there is very general agreementthat the traditional account may be followed. The three Alvars are PEY ALVAR, BHUTATTALVAK, and POYKAI ALVAR, and their story illustrates the meaning of the name Alvar that all these devotees have in common the Alvar is one who has gone deep in the knowledge of God, one who is immersed in the contemplation of him. Pey Alvar, according to the tradition was bom in a red lotus in a well in Mylapore. On the same day, a few miles to the south, at Mahabalipuram, was bom Bhutam, also in a flower, while the day before saw the birth of Poykai in a lotus in the tank of the Vishnu temple at Kanchi (Conjeevaram). It chanced that one night each of them was weather-bound, and they took shelter one after the other in a space all too small for them. As they stood thus close together to escape the fury of the rain they became conscious of another Presence squeezing in among them. It was God Himself and when the day carne, each of them

first

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HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

12

broke into ecstatic song the result of which we have in the and tMrd Tiruzandadi^ each containing a first., second hundred stanzas and composed respectively by Poykai, 1 B!mtai& and Pey. Contemporary with these is TrauiiALJSAi ALVAS, bom three months after them in the village of Trramalisai, near PconamaHee. He was the son of a rishi and an apsara^ but was early abandoned by Ms mother, and found and brought 2 He is reputed to have tip "by a devout man of low castelived for 4,700 years and to have spent much time in Triplicane, Ccnjeevaram and Kuinbakonam. His hymns are the Nan-Mukham Tiruvandadij containing 96 stanzas, and the Tiru-Cckanda-Viruttamj containing 120 stanzas. They contain an interesting and superior reference to Jains, Bud3 dhists, and Siva Bhaktas. ?

The next name

is

that of

NAMMALVAR L the

greatest,

most famous and most voluminous of the Alvars. He is known by various other names, the most frequent of which are Sathagopan and Parankusam. His story is closely inter-

woven with that of another Alvar, his disciple, MATHURAKAvi.__Natnmalvar was born in a Sudra family at Kurakur, now Alvartimnagari in the Tinnevelly District. For the first sixteen years of his life, the child, at that time called llaran, remained under a tamarind tree, opening neither Ms mouth nor his eyes. Meanwhile Mathurakavi, who was on pilgrimage in North India, saw a great light shining 1

The opening

follows

stanzas of the First and Second

Tiruvandadi are as

:

earth as lamp-bowl, the poured-ont sea as oil s the burning sun as light, I "nave twined a garland of words for the feet of him who wields the red blazing- discos, that the discus ^

may IK gone

destruction-bringing

*

Poykai.

With love as lamp-bowl, desire as oil, mind melting with bliss as wick, with melting sonl I have kindled the bright light of wisdom in the learned TartH which I have wrought for BhQtam. Narayana * cf. Tirucckanda yiruftam, 90 'I was not born in one of the twice two castes 1 am not learned in the four sacred Vedas ; I have *

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act conquered fee five senses I have no other bold. 1

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save thy shining feet alone,

O Lord,

Nam-M^kam Tiruvandadi, 6: 'Jains are ignorant, Bttddhists have faHen Into delusion, Saivas are ignorant innocents, and those who not worship Vishnu are low indeed. s

1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

13

and guided by

it he came to Kuruktir and asking a conundrum he succeeded in rousing Maran from his meditative trance, and immediately attached himself to him as his disciple. At the same time Maran experienced a revelation of Vishnu, and the resnlt was the mass of poetry which is preserved in the Ndlayira Prabandham. His works are the Tirumruttam^ containing 100 stanzas; the Tiruvasiriami 7 stanzas; the Periya Tiruvandadi^ 87 stanzas and the Tiruvaymoli 1,102 stanzas. The last forms the whole of the fourth (and concluding) main division of the Prabandham^ and is iiself divided into ten parts, called Tens each containing ten poems, almost all of them with eleven four or eight line stanzas, the eleventh being to show the eternal benefits that will accrue to those who sing these hymns. The Tiruvaymoli is by far the best known part of the Nalayira Prabandham. The works of Namrnalvar as a whole are held to contain the essence of the four Vedas. Unlike some of the other Alvars, the whole of his life was devoted to meditation on divine truth. His disciple, Mathurakavi, has left ten stanzas only, in praise of his master he is the great example of that devotion to the guru as himself a partial incarnation of Vishnu, which was in some later developments of the bhakti movement to have such dangerous implications. The date that modern scholarship assigns to Nannnalvar is about the first half of the ninth century. KULASBKARA ALVAR was a king in Travancore, and his poems contain a number of place-references that have been made the ground of various conflicting theories as to his exact date. Probably the first half of the ninth century may be accepted. He was a capable ruler, but his interests gradually turned to religion. He made a^ careful study of sacred literature and himself corap&^'lSi anthology

In the South,

the tamarind tree.

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of poems drawn from it. His religious pre-occupations proved increasingly embarrassing to his ministers* and various incidents are related of his absorption. On one occasion he was so moved on hearing a passage read from the Ramayana in which Rama is pictured as standing alone against hosts of giants, that he ordered out his own troops to go to the rescue, and his ministers needed considerable

HYilXS OF THE ALVARS

14

ingenuity to avoid complications. Again, he was impetuously on his way to Ceylon to rescue the captive Sita, and had already plunged into the sea to swim the Straits, when that his Rama appeared in person with Sita to assure help was no longer needed. Other stories are told of his devotion but a: last he abdicated and was then able to gratify to the fall his desire to visit the sacred shrine of Srirangam, and from there to pay visits to other temples, His experiences are embodied in the Pencniol Tirumoli^

Mm

;

containing 103 stanzas.

PEXXYALTAX, also known as Vishnu-chittar, was born of Brahmin parents at SrivilHputtur. He was a man of natural piety and devoted himself to the supplying of flowers daily to Krishna in the form of the Sleeper on the Banyan Leaf, in ihe Srivilllptitmr temple. In a vision he was instructed to go to the court of the Pandya king, VaUabha Deva, at Madura, and there In a council of sages, summoned by the king: to expound the Vedanta, he earned the title of Pattarthe Brahman chief. On -his return he experienced piran so strong an emotion* ar' love for Vishnu, and so vivid a realisation of him, that he Broke into the song of praise known as the Tiruppalldndu> in which he summons '

3

others to join him. He returned to his service at Srivilliputiir and there composed Ms Tirumoli, on the exploits of Krishna, to whose imitation he devoted" himself till the end of his days. He may be placed about the middle of the ninth century. AX^AL is of peculiar interest as the one woman poet among the Alvars. She was the reputed daughter of Periyalvar, who, however, had found her in his flower garden while he was digging, and brought her up as his own child. One day in his absence she was playing with the flowers he had set aside for Krishna, and decked herself with them. He rebuked her severely, and was grieved that on that day he was unable to present his usual offering to the god. In a vision, however, he was told that the god preferred the flowers that had worn ; and henceforth she always Aptja! wore them before they were presented to the deity. She became inflamed with passion for Krishna, and pictured herself as one of the gofiis, seeking for union with him by every B

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

15

means. She composed the Tiruppdvai in thirty stanzas, describing the way of fulfilment of a sacred row for the realisation of the divine presence. She also composed the N&cchiyar Tirumoli (the Sacred Speech of the Queen) in 143 stanzas, consisting of invocations to Kama s the god of Love, etc. The question of her marriage arose ; and in a \ision it was revealed that she was to be the bride of Sri Rafiganatha himself, i.e., Vishnu in the recumbent form

shown at Srirangain. She went to Srirangam with due ceremony, and was there absorbed into the divine being. ToxpASApiPPOpi was born at Mandangudi. His original name was Vipra Narayana, and like Periyalvar, he gave himself to the preparation of flowers for the worship of the god, in this case at Srirangam. The crisis of his life came when he yielded to the seductions of a courtesan called Devadevi. He was under her spell for some time, and was at last saved only by the intervention of the god Ranganathan himself. Thus saved and shocked into a more complete devotion, Vipra Narayana returned to his former service of the god, and gave himself the new name of Tondaradippodi (The Dust of the Feet of the Slaves of The heights of his religious experience find God). expression in his two poems, the Tirumalai (the Sacred Garland) and the Tiruppalli Yelucki (the Rousing of the Lord) both directed to the same manifestation of the recumbent Ranganathan at Srirangam. He shows strong hostility to Buddhists and Jains, and there is one hostile reference also to Saivas. He also may be dated about the middle of the ninth century. TXSUPPAN ALVAR was found in a paddy field in Uraiyur (now Woriur, Trichinopoly ) and adopted by a childless Panar, or lute-player, and his wife. The child grew up with a deep devotion to Vishrra as manifested at Srirangam^ just across the river Kaveri but conscious of his lowly Panchatna origin, he contented himself with singing his praises from the southern bank of the Kaveri, not crossing to the sacred island itself. There he used to stay, adoring, and altogether unconscious of his surroundings. On one occasion the Brahmin, Loka Saranga Maha Muni, who was responsible for bringing the water for the ablutions of the god wished ;

t

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

16

draw water frxa the place where TIruppan was seated, and called 10 mm to remove himself, in order that his outcaste presence might not be a pollution. Tiruppan heard nothing, till at last the Brahmin in his irritation threw a stone at him. Tirappan at once realised the situation and htitnbly withdrew. The Brahmin proceeded to_draw ihe v;ater and in dne course presented it to Sri Ranganathan. To his intense surprise it was rejected, and the god rebuked him angrily for Ms treatment of the outcaste, who was his devotee. "Finally, Maha Muni was instructed to go to Timppan and carry him on his shoulders to the sacred presence, as Tirappan's modesty would not allow him of his own motion to bring what he regarded as the defilement of his person near to the god. This was done, and the ecstatic experience drew from Tirappan the Amalan-adiHe was finally absorbed into the ftiran in ten stanzas, divine form at the age of fifty. Last and most picturesque of the Alvars comes TIRUMA&GAI, bora in the thief caste, Ms father being commander The name Nila (blue) of the armies of the Chola king. was given to the child in honour of Vishnu. He inherited Ms father's position, and was made a sub-king of the Tiru-

to

vaji country; he was thus able to indulge his turbulent passions to the full. His conversion to religious thought

dates from Ms falling in love with a heavenly nymph adopted by a Vaishnava who gave her the name of Kurnuda Valli, as he had found her in a lily pool. Uninfluenced by his offers of jewellery and wealth, she refused to marry anyone

bat a true Vaishnava. Nfla immediately hurried to a shrine and begged the deity to make him a Vaishnava. In answer to Ms prayer the twelve marks of Vishnu the wheel, the conch, etc. were imprinted on his person, and he thus returned to claim Ms bride. Kumuda Valli, however, insisted that he should feed 1,008 Vaishnavas daily for one To this also he agreed, and the marriage was duly year. 'Celebrated. From this point Nila becomes Tirumangai. He kept Ms promise to feed the 1,008 Vaishnavas, though in order to do so he defrauded Ms overlord, who therefore came and made a prisoner. However, wMle he against was In captivity a Mdden hoard was revealed to

Mm

Mm

Mm

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

17

by Varadarajasvami of Kanehi (Vishnu in the form worshipped at Conjeevaram), and with this he was able not only to ransom himself but to feed the Vaishnavas for a considerable time. When it was exhausted he took to highway robbery to procure the requisite money. Narayana himself was watching the zeal of Tirumangai for this good end, and in order to win it yet more fully for himself he turned into a wealthy Brahmin traveller and allowed himself to be waylaid and robbed. Tirumangai did his work thoroughly but was unable to lift his rich spoil from the ground until the Brahmin taught him a mantra which contained within itself all the four Vedas. This produced a wonderful effect, and Tirumangai saw the traveller whom he had robbed transformed into Vishnu in the form of Hrishikesa, with his consort Lakshmi, riding on the great kite, Garucla. Inspired by the sight he produced the hyrnns which are preserved in the Praba?idham Periya Tirnmoli^ Tirukurun T&ndaham^ Tirunedun Tdnda/iam, Tiriwerukutrirukkai, Siriya Tinnnadal^ and Periya TirumadaL He visited many sacred shrines, which he celebrated in his hymns. At Sihali (Shiyali) he had a debate with the'Saiva saint, Sambandhar, in which he came out victorious, Sambandhar

him

his trident as a sign of respect. (This trident is images of Tirumangai, who is for this reason called Parakalar, the Enemy of Heretics.) At last he reached

giving

found on

all

Snrangam, where the god, Ranganathan, commissioned him to rebuild and enlarge his temple. To secure the necessary funds for this, Tirumangai -again resorted to brigandage. He gained possession of half a cargo of nuts by an unscrupulous trick, and proceeded to rob the Buddhist shrine at Negapatam of its golden image of Buddha. In the latter place his brother-in-law, Yatirajan, lost his life, which was however restored to him through the intercession of Sri Ranganayakl, the divine consort at Srirangam. With the funds so obtained he set about the building work at Srirangam. When obstreperous workmen demanded payment he saw to their being drowned in the Kaveri, and consoled their indignant relatives by telling them that they would be happier at the feet of Sri Ranganathan than they had been on earth. ... And so at last, having obtained as a final boon the vision of the

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

IB

Lcrefs ten azataras, he went to Tinikkiiningudi and there passed away. Tirnrnangai's period Is probably the first halt c: the rJbth century. srcdy of the hymns of the Alvars brings out two intera philosophy related but distinguishable elements in them striving for expression, and an emotional experience. Both are illustrated in the selections here translated and both may be traced in the subsequent developments of the bhakti movement* One of the most striking features of Sri-Vaishriavlsm is its emphasis on the succession of gurus ; it starts

A

:

T,iih

Xaxnmalvar, whose immediate

disciple,

Mathurakavi,

himself counted among the Alvars, gives it classic expression. But the main line runs through Nathamuni, the codifier o; the Xalayiram, and through the acharyas, Pimclarikaksha, Ramamisra, and Yarnunacharya (also known as Alavandar, the Victor, on account of his dialectical skill), Yamunacharya's works were in Sanskrit, and contained an adumbratiori of the Visishtadvaita system that was worked out by his successor, Ramanujacharya (AJX 1017-1137). It Hes outside the scope of this study to give any detailed account of Ratnanuja, but m_him is summed up the intellectual side of the work of the Alvars. On the emotional side no such dear literary succession can be shown ; but the suggestion of Dr. Farquhar that the Bhagavatu Purana* the latest of \h&Pura?ias^ dating probably from about A.D. 900, sprang from the midst of some such 1 community as the Alvars, seems highly probable. The kind of bhakti described in the Purdna is precisely that of the Alvars a surging emotion produced by gazing on images of Krishna singing his praises, meditating on him, associating with other devotees, touching their s

bodies,

serving

them

lovingly,

talking

with

them

of

wondrous doing and his graces. The Purdna howT ever appears to ha\ e gone further in the less worthy

his

tHrections that are _assockted with the later bhakti

move-

ment than do the Alvar hymns. There is more emphasis on the youth of Krishna, more on the gopis, more detailed sensuous description of the dalliance of Krishna and the 1

Religious Literature of India, p. 231

f.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

19

gopis, ihan is to be found in the Alvars. From the standpoint of religion ii would appear to mark a perversion, 1 \vhich is by no means so definite in the Tamil works. The Nalayira Prabandham is one of the great devoritional classics of the Tamil country, and there are Vaishnavas, both men and women, who carry the whole of it in their memory, chanting it to simple ragams or tunes, in their private devotions. It is also used in temple worship,, side by, side with the Sanskrit Veda. Certain portions of the Nalayiram (notably the Tiruppallandu and the Tiruppavai, translated in this selection) are recited daily in all 2 Sn-Vaishnava temples, and also on special occasions. are there to special portions appropriate For instance, marriages ; and at death, among other portions, the Tiruppallandu is recited, and in the cremation procession the Tirumruttam (here translated in part). At the great Srirangam temple, near Trichinopolyj the whole of the Prabandham is recited during the ten days 1 of the Ekadasi festival in January, and also on the Saints Days sacred to the several Alvars. At Srirangam and in all Sri-Vaishnava temples, the Tamil Prabandham is recited in processions in He is front of the god, and the Sanskrit Veda behind him. there said to rest on the Prabandham^ and to carry the Veda.' For the Sri-Vaishnava, this great Srirangam temple an enormous enclosure, containing a town within the temple walls is simply Koyil/ the Temple, par excellence and it far more than at Tirupati, which is situated at the is here extreme north of the Tamil and on the borders of the Telugu country, and which is mentioned in the Hymns only less frequently than Srirangam that the Tamil Veda/ as the *

(

;

l

Prabandham

is

sometimes

called, is

given

full

The

honour.

regular daily worship at Tirupati is mainly in Sanskrit. Originally, the Hymns seem to have been sung in the 1

After giving a detailed account of Krishna's dalliance with the

gopis, the Bh&gavata Purana concludes (Book s, chap. 33) : Whoever respectfully listens to and rehearses the account of the amorous sport of Vishnu with the damsels of Vraja, conceives great devotion for the almighty lord, and subduing his own self, he speedily destroys his desires that are maladies of the mind.' 2 See ictrodsczory note on the Tiruppallandu^ p. 33. *

ilXS

OF THE ALVARS

^ * JU T fT' as is still the case in Saiva temples with w- ^ w^-.-. -^'c -*>^*-, cut the custom of reciting them together Saiva hymns vdth the commentary gradually grew, possibly to emphasise the similarity between the Tamil Veda and the Sanskrit. This recitation is part of what may be called the Tamil liturgy/ as distinguished from the regular liturgy which is in Sanskrit. The singing of some parts of the Prabandham appears re be a comparatively modern revival, and to have no necessary relation to the liturgy. In any case it has no connection wirh the recitation ; where there is a singer, he performs his part alone. The reciters are called Araiyar '; they stand on opposite sides of the mandapam or hall, in front of the temple, and render the hymns antiphonally. They have allowances and perquisites from the temple, and they must be Brahmins. There is also a liturgy for domestic v;crsMpj in which, for Brahmans, Vedic mantras and verses from the Prabandham are both used for nonBrahmans, the Vedic mantras are of course omitted, though other Sanskrit passages from the Pur anas etc., tnay be put in their place. There is no caste restriction as to the domestic use of the Prabandham; it is open to all who accept the teaching of Ramanuja. Many hymns of the Prabandham require but little explanation, in order to be intelligible. Instances will be found among those translated here of a simple appeal to God for deliverance from the recurring ill of life life itself is the but existence, from ill, not sin, cr sorrow, or misfortune which God himself alone may be able to save the soul that trusts in him. Others are filled with a passionate devotion ^"

(4

;L

1

^ *** :

1

"7

i"

'

&

1

a*

*

:

s

A

'

f

,*

^

;

God, singularly free from

self-regard^ and expressing with a great wealth of illustration. Others again consist of loving and detailed descriptions of God as made known to men, especially in the form of Krishna, whose exploits both as child and man form the subject-matter of many hymns exalting the grace of God. (Only one of the many dealing in great detail with Krishna's infancy has been chosen for this selection, by Perivalvar. 1 ) Others deal similarly with the other avataras of Vishnu, and with

to

itself

1

See below,

p. 37*

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

21

particular manifestations at one or other of the many shrines sacred to him, in the Tamil country and beyond it. The note of devotion that sounds in such hymns is a note familiar in the soul's approach to God, and apart from the strangeness of the names and allusions, needs no comment to make it clear to devout men of other races and faiths. But there are other hymns which refuse to yield their secret unless it is realised that they embody a very elaborate symbolism, much of which is entirely foreign to

western thought. In the present selection, the Tiruvzrutiam of Nammalvar and the Tiruppavai of Andal are examples of this class, and an attempt has been made to supply snfEcient explanation to make them moderately intelligible 1 It is neither possible nor desirable to supply to the reader. a complete key to the esoteric meaning of these hymns ;

commentators differ widely on many points, and all that has here been aimed at is to suggest interpretations that may give some clue to the poet's meaning. No epithet is used without a meaning on which commentators have exercised their ingenuity at great length and inevitably in translation much has been lost of the finer shades of suggestion that the original contains. At the back of all the emphasis on the visible image or shrine lies the great thought, that man's religion not only needs expression through the senses, but through them also needs and receives stimulation. The Alvars yielded themselves fully to the ecstatic raptures that came to their senses through the action of song and symbol. They saw God in everything, and under the most intimate terms known to human relationship they sought to express the passionate hunger ;

of the heart for him.

The soul cannot

find rest until

it

finds

God. For those not already familiar with the intricate field of Hindu mythology, one of the chief obstacles to the ready understanding of such devotional hymns as those of the Alvars is the number of incidents and epithets with which they need to be acquainted. Here all that can be given is a brief summary of the main beliefs about Vishnu, detailed 1

See below, pp. 49, 58-60.

HYMXS GF THE ALVARS

22

allusiozs that are ret here made sixniclently clear beingexplained, v;here they occur, in the notes to the text. The references in ;he hymns are very largely to one or other of the avataras of Vishnu, and it is through them that he is chiefly known to men. But he himself dwells in Yaikrntha, with bis consort, Lakshmi, or Sn who was "bom of the froth of the ocean when it was churned by the g&ds and demons. On his breast he bears a sacred rr-srk, ri-vatsa, and in his four hands he carries always the Wheel, the Conch, the Club, and the Lotus. He is for ever at war with the demons that for ever plot evil against men and 3

Among the demons are Madhn, Kamsa, Bana> Bali, all whom are mentioned in these selections and Vishnu hurls his wheel and uses his club against them. When he blows his conch his enemies are filled with terror and dismay. He also has a Bow (Sarnga) and a sword, and wears special jewels on his breast and on his wrist. He rides on Garada, gods. o:

;

the great eagle that is half human in form and character, the destroyer of serpents. At the dissolution of the universe, between the intervals of creation, Vishnu, the Supreme

Being, Scats on the waters of the Sea of Milk, reclining on 1 the thousand-headed serpent, in profound Adi-Sesha, repose, with Lakshmi at Ms feet. Out of Ms navel grows the lotus which supports Brahma, the active agent in reproducing the world. Vishnu's cMef quality is Ms condescending grace through which he is the protector and preserver of the world. This grace is shown pre-eminently in the avataraSj in which he comes to earth for the help of those who are in need. The number is commonly given as ten, and references to most of them are frequent in the Alvar hymns. The first three are associated with the threatened destruction of the earth by flood, Vishnu coming in animal form to save then as Kurrna, the Tortoise ; and first as Matsya, the Fish again as Varaha, the Boar. Then comes the Man-lion, Naras

;

simha, by which Vishnu delivers Ms devotee, PraHada, from Hiranyakasipu. In the Vamana avatara Vishnu becomes a 1

Pcykai Alvar

Ttnivandadf 53) If be travels, an he stands, sandals within the deep sea aiwa\-s a raft a jewelled lamp. Sue silk, a conch for embraces, the Sa aie will be fcr Tirr

ua

ex,

brella ,

;

if

be

sits, ;

*

(First

a throne

:

,

if

:

;

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

23

vrar. an by his three strides, as Tri-Vikrarra, delivers the earth from the demon Bali. Xest comes Parasurama, followed by the two great figures of Rama, whose foe was Ravana, and Krishna, who destroyed Xarhsa. To the other two names, generally Included among the ten avTataras> Bnddha, and Kaikl, who is still_ to conie, it is doubtful if there are any references in the Alvars. In addition to these stories which are common to aH India and those of Rama and Krishna have of course been elaborated in the fullest detail in popular story and imaginathere are stories connected with particular manifestation tions of Vishnu or of one or other of his avataras at various local shrines. The different names by which he is known suggest different attributes ; for instance, Ranganatha of Srirangam is the Lord of the World-Stage, in the all-

embracing repose that precedes creation ; while Varadara jasvami of Kanchi is the Giver of Boons. Many of the poems of the Alvars are in praise of particular shrines and images, and in the selection here given, the groves and pools and streams in the immediate neighbourhood of such temples as that of Venkatesvara at Tirupati are the subject of loving description.

For the ordinary

worshipper the image undoubtedly recalled God to memory and stimulated emotion; but the exact relation of the 1 local deity to Vishnu is not always easy to understand. In images the divine life needs to be induced, in the pmnapratisihd ceremony, by means of mantras. Once life is induced there is a god in the image who is to it as the soul is to the body, and who by his loving devotees is roused from slumber and bathed and fed. In the life of

Ramanuja there are two incidents which are of special interest as vividly illustrating the reality of life in each image. In early days the temple at Tirupati appears to have been Bhagavata, and the image there combines the 3

Vishau exists In five modes (I) Images and the like are Archa ;; Incarnations are Vibhava ; (iii) his fourfold manifestations are Vyuha (iv) the internal controller is Antaryamin (v) the supreme :

(ii)

;

;

Para. By worshipping each of the former embodiments the votary becomes fit to practise the worship of each of the latter.

Vasrdeva

is

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

24

1

In order to decide once for forms of Vishnu and. Siva. all to which god worship was to be given, Ramanuja one evening placed before the image, on the one hand, the symbols of Vishnu, (the discus, the shell, and so forth), and on the other Siva's symbols, (the trident, etc.), so that the god himself might decide. In the morning the god was wearing the symbols of Vishnu, and from that time forward the temple has been one of the great Sri-Vaishnava shrines. 1

more interesting and perplexing is the story of the disripute that occurred between Ranganatha (Vishnu at rangani), and Varada (Vishnu of Kanchi), over Ramanuja ; the one gcd sent to the other demanding that he should no

Still

longer retain Ramanuja, as he was needed at Srirangam. Here we are not far removed from indiscriminate polytheism, wiih the tmedifying: feuds of rival gods. Yet it is clear that there is a recognised relation between the one Supreme Being Vishnu and the various local gods, so that loyalty to any or all of them is loyalty to him, while on the other hand, no gcd outside this ring may receive worship. There are, however, stanzas in the Alvar hymns in which it is indicated that worship of Siva is in reality worship of 2 Vishim himself tinder that form. In almost all the hymns that are here given, a yearning after the divine fellowship stands out as the chief characteristic. In comparison with this, the best that the world can offer is valueless : wealth, sensual indulgence, the exercise of kingly authority, the bliss of Svarga itself, are all treated 3 with contempt. It is not a vague absorption into the divine essence that is here desired; it is a personal relationship, illustrated largely by the relation between a man and the woman whom he loves. 4 The object of man's 1

Pey Alvar (Third Tinnrandadi,63) The two forms unite as one hill (Tarcpati), where the rushing mountain streams flow round Mai (Vishnu), who appeats with matted locks, and high top-knot ^ad shining battle-axe and discus girt with the snake. cf. also Poykai Alv8r (First Tirnvandadi. 98) These two (Siva and Vishnu) for ever change and unite in their limbs the one is ever within the limbs of *

cf,

on the sacred

3

,

*

:

the other-* 3

8

See, e.g., introductory note to

Tiruviruttam, from Knlasikara, pp. 44-48. Tiruviruttam throughout.

e.g. selections

4

e.g. s

p. 58.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

25

is not a neutral abstraction, but Vishnu, Narayana above all. This Supreme Being is known to men in his overwhelming grace in his various avataras whether as Boar, or Man-Bon, or Dwarf, or Rama, or Krishna, always coming to the help of man. And with him always is associated his consort, Lakshmi, or Sri, the embodiment of his active grace and mercy, the mediatorial influence that is

love

The nature

continually with him.

beyond

definition, but generally its

of the relationship is

climax

is ecstatic joy the almost hysterical thrill of emotion is the sure evidence of the divine presence: 'When one is overcome by the bhakti exaltation, trembling in every cell of his being he must freely and passively allow this influence to penetrate his being and carry him beyond all known states of consciousness. Never from fear or shame that bystanders might take him for a mad man ought the exhibition of his bhakti rapture that deluges his being to be suppressed. The very madness is the distinguishing character of the enraptured saint, distinguishing him from the ordinary mortals to whom such beatific experience is necessarily denied. The very madness is the bhakta's " 31 pride In that very madness, the saint exhorts/' run, jump, ?1 cry, laugh, and sing, and let every man witness it." Figures drawn from the sex relationship are employed to illustrate this extraordinary exhilaration and, especially in the later developments of bhakti, this became the most dangerous element of the movement. In the Alvars, speaking generally, the erotic expression is not too gross. Another characteristic attempt at illustration (as in much other Vaishnava poetry) is in the passion of a mother for a child, and some of the most charming of the hymns are those in which the child Krishna draws out the affection of his devotees in the purest form of emotion that men can know. 2 The emotion of love is stimulated especially by the avatara stories, and the very points in the story of Krishna that have been challenged by many critics his thieving, his im1

;

Govindachaiya, Divine Wisdom of the Dravida Saints (In-

troduction p. iii). 2 cf. the playful

poem

of

Periyalvar translated on p. 37,

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

25

propriety v.ith the gopis are regarded as but supreme utter, condescending, grace. On another line, bat aiming at the same end of giddy exhilaration, is the practice of repeating the thousand names of Vishnu, and sc by a kind of self-hypnotism losing The true devotee sees God in e\^eryoneself in rapture. thing, and again and again in these poems, not only the tulasi (Vishnu's peculiarly sacred plant), but trees and flowers, mountains blue in the distance, birds and beasts and human beings serve to recall the heart to its allegiance. There is in these hymns more of unrealised desire than of present satisfaction, and every reminder of God serves to 1 accentuate this pain of the home-sickness of the heart.

examples of bis

This relationship with God by means of loving devotion the way of escape from the ills of life, and is open to all. Neither asceticism, nor ceremonial works, nor knowledge are required -and such a story as that of Tiruppan Alvar is a reminder that a man of any caste may be a guru, and that thus in the sight of God birth is no recommendation. This salvation is generally a personal matter, and there is not a great sense of responsibility for the welfare of others in a number of these hymns. Yet on the other hand it is to be noted that the very use of Tamil opened the way to the common man, and that still in Vaishnava temples the recitation of the Nalayiram gives what has been called the essence of the Vedas in the vernacular of the people. The reading of the poems, which is possible for all, we are again and again told, will deliver a man from rebirth. In the Tirnppailandu and in a number of other poems there is a definite call on the part of the poet for others to join with in Ms act of worship and in his service of God. The life of Ramanuja supplies another illustration of the same generous tendency. To learn a mystic secret from a guru in the Madura District he travelled all the way from Srlrangam ; but to test Ms worthiness the guru made return without the mantra. Eighteen times did Ramanuja thus make the toilsome journey; until at last the guru, persuaded of his fitness, disclosed the mystery, under a is

;

Mm

Mm

1

For examples see Tirwiruttam, passim.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

27

pledge of secrecy. Immediately Ratnannja went and proclaimed what he had learnt to a group of men, preferring to be lost himself, if he might thus save strict

forth

ethers.

The goal

that is sought appears to vacillate

alternatives, as indeed

the case with

between two

many

mystics in every land and age. There is first, quite clearly, the normal human longing for a relation of conscious love and trust between man and God there is even the joyful anticipation 1 The reality and of unending service round God's throne. can these alone save impassioned hymns eternity of love from being a mockery, and in the Visishtadvaita philosophy the doctrine of the continued existence of the individual soul finds its defence. But there is also the goal of_ complete absorption, such as is suggested in the stories of Andal and the peace that is the peace of nescience. of Tiruppan Thought seems to be dominated by the ideas of Karma and an impassible God, and the one cry is to be delivered from 2 Life itself still seems to be the evil, and not any rebirth. of the mere incidents of life, such as pain or misery or sin. It is perhaps unwise to look for logical consistency in the expressions of religious rapture ; it is to be found no more in the hymns of the great German mystics than in those of the Alvars. Whatever the goal, and however varied the means by which man may try to reach it, it is clear that his hope in these hymns lies not in means, however suitable, but in the In one of the earliest of the character of God Himself. Alvars there occurs a stanza which may well be taken as the expression of the bhakta's faith : Let thy grace be for me to-day or to-morrow, or let it wait still for a little and come later, I am sure, O Narayana, that I am not without JS God's grace is unlimited ; thee, nor art thou without me each avatara shows it, and supremely in the condescension is

;

l

!

of Krishna's whole career, it is made sure for men. On this unlimited grace the humblest and most unworthy may build. 1

e.g., 2

Tiruppallandu, stanza

12, p. 37.

Tbnimarigai, Periyatirumoli xi, 8, p. 40. TinnnaHsai, N&n-tntt&foan-Tiruvandadi, 7. e.g.,

3

'

HYilXS OF THE

28

ALVARS

Gcd's grace is unfathomable, all the wisdom of all the sages has touched but the fringe of the knowledge of him, 1 But such grace their best light is only a flickering torch, demands an unlimited answering devotion, and salvation comes when God's boundless grace is met by man's faith and lore. The Question that inevitably arises at this point what is is one of the great questions of the religious life the relation between that grace of God, and the answering faith of man ? It is on this that the great division occurred arccng the followers of Ramanuja, The Vadagalais, or Xorthem schcol whose great thinker and leader was Vedania Besika, laid stress on man's share the Tengalais, ,*

s

;

who

are

more

directly in the line of succession to the Alvars,

emphasised God's grace, and God's responsibility, and maintained that all that man has to do is to remain passive, The two sects still divide the field of South Indian Vaishnavism, with many differences of ceremonial observance and emphasis ; but the essential difference is as to whether man's hold of God and God's hold of man are like that of the monkey to its young, where the young one has to exert itself to maintain its grip, or like that of the cat and the kitten, where the kitten is merely passive in its mother's mouth. The Tengalai view lends itself to extravagant exaggerations, as does extreme Calvinism, with a very similar creed ; but in the Alvar hymns there is little or EO evidence of blaming God for man's failures, to the shutting out of all responsibility from man. God's character then, as here portrayed, is gracious, and Ms grace is to be answered by man's loving faith. But grace is hardly a sufficient description of character ; it is *

'

a description of

God

in his dealings with men. But what is In particular, if salvation is eternal fellowship with Mm, we need to know what manner of being it is with whom we are to maintain fellowship ; for this determines the ideal of our own character and life. from these hymns it is very difficult to form a consistent view of God's character. What is Ms attitude to the great problems of conduct which every man has to face ? It would almost seem

God in

himself

?

Now

1

Tiruviruttam, 44, p. 73.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

29

from these hymns that God is above morality, and that to him it is an irrelevance. The Pnranic stories are taken for granted.

Krishna

is

a

full

incarnation of God, expressing

God

in everything he does. It has been said above that what in an ordinary man would be called his immoralities are regarded in Krishna as so many signs of his infinite

condescension

;

but

if

God can

so condescend, morality is

indifferent to him. Similarly, in the easy theory of partial incarnations in the various Alvars there is no recognition

of morality as a requisite. In the symbols at the great Snrangam temple, as at other temples, there is much

of

what anywhere

would have

else

to

be called inde-

osncy; but there is no suggestion that this is repugnant to Vishnu. Morality is a category applicable only to men and it is not surprising that in some later developments of the bhakti movement, by a perverted emphasis, the heaven that is held out as the goal of the bhakta consists in sharing in the amorous sports of Krishna; to be with God means to be freed from the vexatious limitations God is at any rate not essentially and of humanity. s the centrally righteous; and while it may be true that in shall heart see the same result can be God/ pure attained by other means. Apparently, as the stories of the Alvars suggest, the power of a niantra, the repetition of the sacred name, or even the use of the right ceremonial, 1 are as effective as right living and true thinking. In other words, there is no necessary connection between bhakti and Character- Such a story as that of Tondaradippocli certainly emphasises the ethical ; but on the other hand is the story of Tirumangai where a startling and profound religious experience left character entirely unaffected ; he is at least as unscrupulous after his conversion as before it, and there is no hint of criticism on the part either of Vishnu or of the later devotees of Tirurnaiigai. Deliverance from sin, after sin is not the problem* all, is not what is chiefly desired but life itself. It would thus appear that the type of devotion that we are here considering gives no positive help to the living of the moral life; the possession of a character ;

c

'

;

1

cf.

the dosing stanzas of

many

of the

hymns.

3)

HYilXS OF THE

ALVARS **

formed en the model of God as revealed in his avataras cannot bar men from that fellowship with him which is salvation. On the other hand, this is inconsistent with the fundamental karmic doctrine, that selfish action involves rebirth and is thus a bar to salvation.

thongh

Karma

self-centred, morality;

thus makes for unselfish, but the bhakta's religion

quite well leave morality on one side. The ethical prcblem is not central in the thought of the Alvars the fervent glow o: emotion makes aG else seem trivial.

may

;

BIBLIOGRAPHY 7h=j literature in English dealing with the Alvars is very scanty. traditional stories of the Alvars, together with much _curious information. :ray be found in The Holy Lives of the Azhudrs r-r the Drlzfda Saints ty Alkondavalli Govindacharya (Mysore,

Tus

1902s. Of interest, too, is the same author's Divine Wisdom of the Dr&iidz Sxifrfs. Frcm the standpoint of modern scholarship T. Ra-agop&laczariar*s Faishnatite Reformers of India, S. Krishnaswaziy Aiyangar's Early History of Vaishnavism in South India, and T. A. Gopinatha Rao's Subrak?nanya Ayyar Lectures on the History cf Sri Vaisnavas. are of special value. There are various lives of Ramannjacharya. On the more general lines of bhakti, Macxcol's Indian Theism is most useful, while Farqufaar's Outline

of the Religious Literature of India is indispensable for the clear view that it gives of the historical development of thought and practice in the bhakti movement, and for its placing of bhakti in relation to the other elements of Indian religious life. For mythology, the standard works on Hinduism are available, and in small compass Wilkins Hindu Mythology is serviceable, though it is doubtful whether in any one English book an account can be found of all the stories which are taken for granted in the Alvar hymns. Of bhakti from the Christian standpoint there is a valuable and suggestive treatment in J. L. Johnston's Some Alternatives to Jesus Christ. The relevant articles in Hastings' Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics may also be consulted with advantage, especially Grierson on Bhakti Harga,' and A. Berriedale Keith on Rainannja. 1

*

'

PART

II

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

TRANSLATIONS AND I

A Hymn PERIYILVAR

:

of Praise

TIRUPPALLANDU

INTRODUCTION

Among

the Alvar

a unique place is held by the Tiruppallandu. For all Tamil Vaishnavites, both Vadagalai and Tengalai, the Tamil hymns rank in importance with the Sanskrit Veda and are recited on all occasions of worship, both temple and private. (This of course does not include the morning:, mid-day and evening Sandkya worship, incumbent on Brahmins as such, which consists of meditation and the recitation of certain set Vedic formulas). At the ten-day annual festivals of the temples, all the four thousand stanzas should be recited while in the daily worship there is time only for selected stanzas. But in all cases, whether the stanzas

hymns

;

many or few, the Tamil recitation is commenced with the Tiruppallandu and is closed with it. This is not recited are

confined to Brahmins ; Vaishnavites of all castes make this use of the Tiruppallandu. Among the ceremonies at death, some involve the recitation of Alvar hymns and on the day of death, in the polluting presence of the dead body, the Tiruppallandu is recited. So on the thirteenth day, when all pollution ends, if possible all the four thousand stanzas should be recited, though this involves time and money; but in any case, however few stanzas are recited, the Tiruppallandu is included. ;

According to_the tradition, on one occasion Vishnu appeared to Periyalvar in a vision. The Alvar, overwhelmed with the sight of his infinite beauty, burst out into ecstatic prayer, that that beauty should be preserved safe for ever. His prayer is the Tiruppallandu.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

34

generally accepted scheme of the Tiruppallandu described as follows. In stanzas I and 2 the Alvar sings the praises of God. He does not feel happy to sing alone, and therefore he calls upon others, who reply to him, in singing. and finally join with (a] In stanza 3 he calls to those who worship God, but do so without any ulterior motive ; stanza 6 is their reply, and in stanza 9 he delighted with it, sings with them.

The

may

"be

Mm

s

In stanza 4 he calls upon those who worship God, with the object of securing soul-realisation, and who having gained it, forget God, and are content. Stanzas 7 and 10 give their response and the Alvar's singing with them. (c) In stanza 5 he calls upon those who worship God seeking the enjoyment of worldly pleasure, attached to impermanent wealth and power. Stanzas 8 and 11 are their response and the Aivar's singing with them. (d) In stanza 12 he appeals to others, who are altogether indifferent to God, and suggests that for them the way to worship God is to join with him in singing this hymn, and thai the reward of worship is unceasing worship round his throne. (b}

?

is a play on the meaning of the word Pailandu,' which adequate translation impossible. The word literally means * many years, but it has also the sense of adoration.' In the first stanza both meanings are necessary, but for the rest the translation All Hail has teen adopted as perhaps the least open to objection.

There

'

3

1

'

*

TRANSLATION Reverence, reverence be unto thee, O thou mighty 1 One, who didst overcome the Mailas, thou like to the sapin phire glory! Infinitely blest be the beauty of thy holy feet for many many years, for thousands of years, for crores of years, for ever ! 1.

2.

All hail Oh may no rift come twixt thy slaves and thee ! All hail to Sri, who dwells, thy lustre, on thy right ! All hail, the glorious discus in thy fair right hand 2 All hail to Panchajanyam sounding in the fight 1 !

1

r;re

Kamsa

1

Sent by

-

The conch won

against Krishna. in conflict" with the

VJshnu's chief weapons.

demons

;

this

and the discus

VISHNU (From

a stone image in the

Madras Museum)

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES Take earzh and odours,

3.

Ye wish

35

1

if to serve the Source of bliss but we'll no worldlings have to join cnr

:

crew Seven generations without Saw, we sing All hail To him who with his anny Lanka's demons slew 1

'

!

Ere

4.

to the evil place

Ye who would bounds.

2

haste, to break these

come, resolve

3

Oh, join the devotees

Oh

oh

ye come,

join us,

!

hasie,

who hymn Naray art's name, 4

town and country with your song

till

resounds.

Ye who have been among Irudikesan's 5 slaves, The Lord who into one the crowded hosts of

5.

yore Gathered and slew, demons and giants leave the past, 5 And hail his thousand names; oh conae, his feet adore :

!

6.

For generations seven, grandsire and sire, we do Our tasks aright that we the evil eye may stay 7 :

we sing to Hari, who his demon foe s At TinivonamV sacred eventide did slay.

All hail

1

i.e.

from the

lord, as

taken by devotees to

symbols of becoming his slaves. Earth Is of a ren-day festival, and In

mark the beginning

grains are made to sprotit. 3 The reference may be either to primordial matter, or to the burning-ghat ; salvation must come -while we are in the body. 8 l5ey are bound in that their mind is set ou their own soul, not

it

on God. 4 has the surface meaning of 'Salutation to _ _Namonarayana Narayana,* but traditionally the meaning is, as handed down from his gura to "Ramanujacfaarya, (I am) not for me ... but for Narayana." 5 A name of Vishnu, the lord of the senses (Hrishikes"a). 6 The past for these had been spent in singing for wealth, etc.; worship henceforth is to be without any ulterior motive. 7 God, because of his supreme excellence, is exposed to the evil eye, in the protective thought of his devotees and their anxious prayer" prompted by love has been directed to the warding off from .2110 of .ts power. s Hiranyakas"ipu slain by Vishnu in the Narasimha avatara. 9 The twenty-second lunar asterism. There are twenty-seven, '

'

*

;

:

corresponding to the twelve signs of because VIshati is its presiding deity.

the

zodiac.

It

is

'sacred

11

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

33

AH of

our race will serve, our sign the discus red, Gleaming more bright than fire and sing all hail

7.

1

3

to

him, Lord of the discus, that, from all his thousand arms, 1 Made Sow the blood of Vanan in the struggle dim.

Him who

8.

2

the hooded snake's dread foe

as standard

bears,

pure in life, I hail Oh sweet and ghi, betel in hand, unceasing rite, 3 Necklet and ear-ring, sandal for the body meet

And even me makes Were

!

rice

!

9.

we put on the golden robe thou takest off, Eat thy bowl's orts, thy tulasi our coronal Where thou didst fix; our task, 'tis done now, hail to

'Tis

:

;

thee, 4

Couch'd on thy snake, at Tiruvonam festival 10.

!

Lord, when we calf d ourselves thy slaves, thou mad'st us free. And we have prosper d ; now to thee who that fair 3

day J

dst, in Mathura didst break the 6 the five-hooded serpent's head,

Appear

On

bow, and leap i

All hail

' !

we

say.

11.

who

like Selva proud,

7

of Kottiyur, all fair, of old thy slave, Ecstatic sing thee, manifold in purity,

I,

With nought

unfit,

Namoaarayana

!

am, Tinimal,

thy names, with meaning grave.

1 Anirttdha, enticed by Usha, daughter of Vanan, king of the Ascras (Banaura). secretly gained access to her. VSnan dazed him Krishna came and rescued him, and married Usba to Anlradha. 2 Garada. 3 Tbese were the boons that had previously been satisfying the son!, which now recognises that la God alone is satisfaction. 4 5 c AidiSesba. I.e., of Kamsa. KSIyan. T TirukOttiynr king who was a devotee. ;

*

A

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES They who repeat

words of Vishnu

these

37 Chittar's

1

song 2

Praising the sacred Lord (Lord of the Bow, on high 3 In heaven), and feel their luck this year, round God shall

throng

And there, Namonarayatia

'

unceasing cry.

!

II

Little

Krishna and

the

Moon

PEROTALVAR: TIRUMOLI

I.

:

4

The Alvar under the figiire of Yagoda, Krishna's foster-mother, how the child plays in the dost and calls for the moon.

descries

He

round in the dust, so that the jewel on his waist-bells tinkle Oh, look at my son Govinda's play, big Moon, if thou hast eyes in thy face and then, be gone 1.

rolls

brow keeps swinging, and

his

1

!

one, precious to me as nectar, blessing, is calling thee, pointing, pointing, with his little hands big Moon, if thou wishest to play with this little black one, hide not thyself in the clouds, but come rejoicing !

My

2.

my

little

1

O

Wert thou bright

all over, with the wheeling of thou dost, thou canst not match my son's face! O Moon, come quickly, so as not to tire the hands that beckon thee, of the wondrous one who

3.

thy orb of

light,

with

all

dwells in Vengadam 4. Tis thee he points to from !

J

my hip, he with the discus wide eyes If thou knowest Moon, vex him not; if thou art not

in his hand, gazing with bright

!

what beseems thee, O a childless one thyself, come now 5. He calls thee in his baby speech, prattle unformed, sweetened with nectar from his pretty mouth. O big Moon, if thou heedest him not, whose name is Sridharan, 4 !

1

Another name

2

Sarngam, Vishnu's bow."

s

of Periyalyar.

they recognise that they are lucky in the time at which they may thus sing. He who carries Lakshinl in his heart.

i.e.,

live, 4

that they '

1

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

38

who is

so friendly to

for thee

If

tfaou

all,

when he

wert deaf

calls

and

'twere well

calls,

!

6. He who in his great hand wields club, and discus, and bow, doth yawn for very drowsiness and if he sleep not, the milk he has taken will upset MmS So, big Moon, dwelling in the sky, make haste, and come 7. Despise him not because he is a child ; he is the little one who of old slept on the banyan leaf If he be wroth, he will rise tip and leap on thee and seize thee disregard not I

!

;

my lord, Mg Moon, but mn hither joyously 8. Scorn not my lion whelp as a little one !

go ask King

;

J

1

Tis great Mai that calls for of his youthful prowess. thee to come quickly. If thon recognisest thy despising him full Moon, even thou wilt be fit to be as a fault in thee, Ms slave I 9. See how he calls thee, my Lord, who filled his hands Bali

O

from the pot and gorged himself with ghi There is 20 doubt that he will sky thee with his discus, so if thou wouldst live, run hither joyously full

!

?

!

Ill 4

Lord^ in the iulness of

I would for Thee be

r/iy

might 3

$fro?ig-

TIRUMANGAI PEKJYA TIRUMOLI, L :

3

M*

1.

Or ever age creep oa us, and we need The staffs support ere we are double bent ;

With eyes fix*d on the ground in That totter, sitting down to rest, We would worship Vadari 2

Home

of

front, all

and

spent

feet

:

Mm who mightily

Suck'd Ms feigned mother's breast 3 Till she died, ogress conf est 3

It was from King Ball that Vishnu in the Vamana avatara obtained permission tc rake the three strides, which he did, "expanding: to rise form of Tri-Vifcrama. s ie, Badari, the Himalayan shrine of Vishnu. 3 Krishna in his childhood sucked the breast 'of the demon, Putana fill she died.

TRANSLATIONS AXD NOTES Ere youth can

2.

rail,

(as

39

with one band on back

We lean

a-tremble on our staff, with eyes A-roll, and deep heav'd breaths, and coughs) *

What's this

?

Why, what an

old

man

can say,

Father

'

Is

!

We

would worship Vadari, Sung by the honey-drinking bee.

3.

Ere

all

my veins stand out like hoops, my flesh my mind ashamed, and tottering

All loose,

with rolling eyes turn'd on the path I have, the thousand names I'd sing: I would worship Vadari, Sung by bees in ecstasy.

I stand,

If

;

sense

Before the

4.

rheum

flows,

and

my

eye grows dim,

And bile comes up, and I am old, and cough, And my legs pain me and together knock. And I can walk but tottering enough !

would worship Vadari Girt by pools where fishes play

I

;

Home And Ere

of the Lad who calves did graze, en a day the hill did raise. 1

my body all my senses fail, grow old and sit apart, my mind Sunk in dejection gathered phlegm I spit,

9.

in

And

I

;

And

only babble of the things I would worship Vadari, Sung by those who tulasi

I find

:

Bear to wreath him, and round the shrine Name the thousand names divine. *

Krishna, the cowherd, raised the bill, Govardhana, as an umbrella, to protect the Socks from the rain seat In wrath by India.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

40

IV

Who shall

deliver

me from

the body of this death ?

TIRUMANGAI PERIYA TIRUMOLI, :

XI. 8

*

1.

2.

Like tree that dwells on river bank 1 timid am Lest in the pit of birth again I plunged am. Lord, who art smell and taste and touch And hearing . . . I have dared thus much

!

Like sailors caught in midst of storm I timid am Lest in the pit of birth again

I

plunged am.

Lord of the Discus, though my word Be cause for wrath, let it be heard !

3.

Like sharing hut I

timid

with,

serpent-mate

am

Lest into doleful births again I plunged am. Lord of the lotus eyes, my mind Confus'd, no way to bear can find.

4.

Like ant on firebrand blazing at both ends I timid am. Lest wandering, into changeful births again I

plunged am.

my melting heart the Eternal Sovereign art

I bring to thee

Thou 5.

:

!

Like pack of jackals caught in flood I timid am, Lest into pit of destined I

plunged am,

woe

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

41

Eternal Sovereign^ by thy hand Thrust in, with all abatement bann'd. 7,

The worm

1

within the ?ieem' eats nought

Save neem alone. rosy feet thy servant I Will love alone, Thou Light Supreme, on serpent bed, Who waning moon delivered

Thy

!

V 4

He

condescends to them of low estate

TIRUMANGAI FERIYA TIRUMOLI,

5

V.

:

8

P

1.

Thou didst not call him dull, or foe to life, 2 Or low of caste, but pitiedst him,

On him

thy kindly grace didst pour, and say : deer's modest glance Thy Mend is and my brother thine ; and when He would not stay behind, for joy, * thou saidst. Such Thou art my friend stay here 1

She with the shy

'

'

:

I

words

So

Thy 2.

my heart that I have found thou with the colour of the seas, Lord of Srirangam with its beauteous trees. fit

feet,

Thou didst not spurn the great son As Ape, and of another race,

of the

Wind3

But, so that love and longing greater grew Than ocean, thou didst love, and say :

1

leaf,

The margosa because that

tree.

is its

The worm enjoys even the bitter margosahow much more must man love

environment

:

God! 2 The

reference is to the episode in the_Ramayana, when Guhan, the fisherman king, was loath to leave Rama, Sita'and Lakshmana on the banks of the Ganges. Rama finally persuaded not to them when he provided them with a boat to cross the river. accompany 3 Hanuman, the monkey hero of the Ramayana, was the son of Vayu, the wind.

Mm

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

42

**

*

There cannot be a recompense for That thou hast done for me I ;

Embrace

all

will

thee, thou of faultless truth

' !

That such

A shining boon to me may come, Longing, the refuge of thy feet I seize, Lord of Srirangam with its beauteous trees. 3.

When gathering lotus

in a beauteous pool of fragrant flowers girt, elephant by mighty crocodile Was seized, so that its end was nigh

By groves The

He thought upon the

shelter of thy feet

Knowing the mighty wrath thou Such

.

1 r

.

.

hadst,

that the life of that beast, cruel-mouthed, shaken, I, too, come to thee,

Was Thy

slave, the refuge of

thy feet

Lord of Srlrangam with 4.

its

I seize,

beauteous

trees.

When came a poison-dropping angry snake 2 To Thee for refuge, terror-struck, Thou

didst

become

its

refuge, and didst give the Bird,

It for protection to

Thy beauteous

slave.

Knowing

this

grace

thou

show'dst, I, fearing Yama's messengers So harsh of speech, and cruelties which they, Fierce ones, will do, have come to thee : Thy slave, the refuge of thy feet I seize,

Lord

of

Srirangam with

its

beauteous trees.

1 Both the elephant and the crocodile were such because they had been cursed by munis. The elephant had been the king Indradyunina who was so absorbed fay devotion to Vishnu that he had failed to show respect to the sage Agastya. Even as an elephant he continued to gather flowers for the worship of Vishnu. Vishnu therefore was ready to rescue him from the crocodile, which had been one Huhia, a

Gaodharva a The snake was Sumiakha, afraid of Garuda, the sacred kite which was Vishnu's vehicle. Garuda had eaten his father, and was shortly going to eat Somukha. Vishnu put Ganida to shame by making him carry Sunnokha on his shoulders. Yarns is the god of death. ,

*

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES 8*

of that great sage who learned 1 In the eternal Vedas four,

The SOE

43

was

Feared crnel Yarns who esteemed him not, And thy protection claimed thou wast His refuge, nor didst leave him after thou Hadst raged at Kala merciless. That the great grace thou further purposed him Never to leave thy sacred feet May also come to me, thy feet I seize, Lord of Snrangam with its beauteous trees. :

7.

A Brahmin who aforetime gave to thee The

2

The Truth for repetition, and birth of sacred thread, besought of thee

:

*

know not where my darling son Is hidden. Thou dost know. Oh, give him me Thou with thy flawless truth didst cure The lack for which he prayed to thee didst give I

J

i

Him back I

8.

his little one.

And

so

come the refuge of thy feet I seize, Lord of Srirangarn with its beauteous ;

A Brahmin, adept in the Vedic truth,

trees.

3

'

Called on thee Sire, I seek thy feet. wife her children dear has never seen Since they were born a cruel god :

My

;

*

Markan^eya, the child of the old age of Mrikanda, the sage, was to be perfectly virtuous, and die at the age of 16, rather than live an evil tie to the age of 100. By doing penance to Siva he was able to evade the resolute efforts of Yama to capture him. He was further given ice gift of eternal life. * Kala ' is eith the minister of death. (Note that a s is by the Alvar assigned to Vishnu.)

2

The Brahmin Santhipini taught Krishna after the killing of Kamsa, and made this request as for his fee. His son had been drowned twelve years before. Krishna sought him out and restored him to Ms tatoer. Sacred thread this ceremony is regarded as a youth's Y second birth, the entry on the life of manhood. so disappeared. At the time of the birth of '

:

i

******** to

K.^^^??

KPhl? a

>

actln ^ for

**o agteed

to save it. to save the all four.

Mm faM >

Krishna therefore himself came, and restored

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

44

Has taken them and hidden them away/ In presence of his enemies kindly grace ; didst say to him These are thy children/ and didst give Them back. And so I come ; thy feet I seize, Lord of Srirangam with its beauteous trees.

Thou showedst *

VI Renunciation

KULASEKARAN PERUMAL TIRUMOLI :

:

C. 3

m

1.

No

kinship with this world have I

Which takes for true the life that For thee alone my passion burns/ 1 Rangan, my Lord

4

*

is

not true.

I cry,

'

!

2.

No

kinship with this world have

I

With throngs of maidens slim of waist With joy and love I rise for one alone, and cry Rangan, my Lord :

c

*

!

3.

No

kinship have I with the devotees Of Maran2 with the cruel bow I

But mad for Rangan's wreathed breasts Narayanan, Eternal, Hell's dread Foe 4.

am

I,

!

No

kinship with this world have I, Rejoicing in its round of food and fine array

!

am mad

for Rangan, him whose mouth Drained through her breasts the ogress 3 life away. I

6.

No

kinship have I with the men who choose evil when the good unmixed is there. Mad am I for the First, the Cowherd Groom3 Of her4 who sprang from out the lotus fair.

The

1

Tbe

deity at Srirangam. 3

Krishna.

2

Kama, *

the Indian Cupid. Lafcshmi.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES 7.

45

Cast out by red-eyed Vishnu Is the mind That clung on every side to every one Father, forsaken are they all, and I With love for Rangan, for my Lord, fordone.' :

'

9.

shall touch the man who mighty stands 1 In these the songs the Konkan king has sung Great in his lonely frenzy for the feet Of Rangan with the discus in his hands

No harm

!

VII'

The worldly hope men / Turns ashes .

set their

hearts

upon

.

KUL ASEKAR AN PERUMAL TIRUMOLI Flesh-pampering birth in body's not for me :

:

G. 4

mm

1.

Unless his slave

I be,

Who

tamed the seven May I be born again,

bulls.

2

Oh, as a crane

Whose home is in Koneri 3 upon Vengadam, Of him who in his left hand holds the conch. 2.

The wealth which rules in heaven is not for me, With galaxy Of nymphs4 with charms immortal ; on the earth

No

kingship

!

May

the birth

That is my lot be as a fish within the springs Of Tiruvengadam, with groves of honeyed flowers 3.

!

Entrance into Vaiktmtiha's 5 portals high Hard to be entered by Him of the thickly matted hair, 6 and Brahm 7

And

Indra,

come

1

Kulasekaran. Krishna won the daughter of the shepherd, Nagnachittu, by 3 seven bulls. A small tank on Tirupati hill. taming * 5 Dancing girls in Indra's heaven, Svarga. Vishnu's heaven. *

6

Siva.

7

Indra

is

to the triad.

here ranked with Siva and

Brahma

:

Vishnu '

is

superior

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

46

4.

would

Close pressing

I

For Vengad's armed!

Hng

Where humming

gain, holding the

to

golden bowl

1

spit

in,

lightning

discus-

beetles sing their song I'd be

A daainpak tree,

Standing at Tinivengadam, that I The feet might spy 2 Of him, mysterious Lord, who slumbers in the cool coral of its with all waves bright Milk-sea, tossing !

7.

I will

To

sit

know

not

the wealth

men

celebrate

as lord, in state,

O'er kings, 'neath white umbrella like

full

moon

Which rules the sky. My boon 3 Be rather thoughts which like Kanaru river flow On Ml! of Vengadam with groves of honeyed flowers. 8*

'Mid Vengadam's cool scented groves I'd fain stand maintain road upon his hill who Ved-revealed Himself fulfilled The penance duly done by him with crescent moon 5 4 In matted hair, by Brahma and by Indra

My

A

!

9.

O Tirumal, who banishest strong deeds That grow Eke weeds,

O mighty lord of Vengadam,

that I

coral iips might see, and lie, step, at threshold of thy temple, for thy slaves And heavenly ones, and beauteous nymphs to

Thy

A

across

pass

!

1 In Vishnu temples a spittoon is provided for the deity, into which is emptied the ceremonially offered water. 2 Vishnu is pictured as at Srirangam, a recumbent sleeping figure. 8 4 A stream on Timpati hill. Siva. 5 Those who have gained the position of Siva, etc., by their penances have only done so by the help of the Supreme Being who is revealed in tfce Veda.

TRANSLATIONS AXD NOTES J

10.

neath that canopy which rales above might attain the love 1 Of Urvasi with girdle of ze gold, To it I'm cold. Oh to be anything: at all on Yengaelam, The golden hill of him with lips of coral red If I

!

VIII *

All

My

hope on Thee

'

is

stayed

KULASEKARAN PERUMlL TIRUMOU :

1.

If

Thou I

wilt not

my

:

C.

5,

portion'd grief dispel,

have no hope but Thee, 2

Vitruvakodu's Lord, Girt with its groves of flowers with fragrant smell I'm like a babe, which weeps, yet thinks of mother's grace,

Though she with anger

fierce

has thrast

it

from her

face.

2.

Girt on all sides by walls that heaven touch, Vitruvakochi's Lord, E ea like a well-born girl 3

Who

only knows her husband, though deeds such her lover does, so will I sing, Though thoult not be my Lord, Thy anklets tinkling.

As men may mock

3.

Surrounded by wide lands which

fishes see,

Vitravakodu's Lord, E'en if Thou wilt not look On me, I have no other hold but TheeLike subjects looking to the rod of wreathed king, Though he regards them not and works deeds harrowing.

One of

tie dancing girls in Svarga, widely sitng in Indian poetry. 2 place in the Cfaera country.

A

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

48 4.

"by illusion from Thee woe Without a remedy,

Though

Yitrnvak6c!u

I

have

5

s

Lord,

At Thy grace only win I look, Thy slave, Like a sick man, who, though physician cut with knife And brand, yet loves him with a love as long as life. 5.

Slayer of elephant great and fierce of eye

Vitravakodu's Lord,

Where shall I go and live ? Save for Thy feet, like a great bird am I Which goes around and sees no shore and comes

at

last

Back 6.

o'er the tossing sea

and perches on ship's mast

Though red fire conies itself and makes The lotus red blooms not

!

fierce heat,

Save for the fierce-rayed one heavens has his seat. Vitruvakodu's Lord, though Thou will not remove My -woe, my heart melts not save at Thy boundless

Who in the lofty love*

7.

E'en when forgotten wholly by the sky The green crops only look, (Vitravak6du s Lord !) At the great black clouds as they rise. So I, Thy servant, more and more will set my mind on Thee, T

Though Thou 8.

wilt not

remove

my human

misery.

With gathered waters all the streams ashine Must spread abroad and run And enter the deep sea And cannot stand outside. So refuge mine, Save in the shining

bliss of entering Thee, is none, Vitravakodu's Lord, thick cloud-hued, virtuous one

!

ANDAL I

From

a

wood carving

in the

Madras Museum)

RANSLATIONS AND NOTES

49

IX The Maiden

s

Vow.

ANDAL: TIRUPPAVAI INTRODUCTION

The Tiruppavai one of the best-known and most used In It the poetess, parts of the Nalayira Prabandham* Andal, pictures herself as one of the gopis, the milkmaid friends of Krishna, rising early la the morning, and persuading her friends to accompany her In order to arouse the sleeping Krishna. Their aim Is to secure from him a drum, as a pledge of bliss. (Possibly the drum is intended to suggest the triumph of acknowledged love if he gives her a dram, It Is so far a sign that he has commissioned her to proclaim Ms praises.) The first five stanzas are a general description of what those who have undertaken this vow of waiting upon Krishna must do, and of the benefits that will come to them. Stanzas 6 to 15 describe the attempts of those who have already risen to awaken others who are still asleep. In stanzas 16 to 22 all the maidens have gathered together and are trying to rouse Krishna, wakening first the gatekeeper, then Nandagopa and Yasoda, Balarama and Krishna. In 18 they appeal to Nappinnai, or Radha, and In 21 all together unite to call Krishna. In 25 they reply to the question that Krishna may be imagined to put to them, as to what they want ; and in 27 they explain what the benefits are which they expect. In 30 the Issue of their desire Is stated, and the poetess speaking in her own person promises eternal blessings to those who have made her song their own. (The refrain at the end of each stanza, 'Elorembavay/ is of doubtful meaning, and Is best left untranslated. Kingsbury and Phillips (Hymns of the Tamil Saivite Saints^lQI) also leave it untranslated* and suggest the meaning Receive and ponder what I say, O Lady.' Among other suggestions is Hail O thou unique lady ) Is

;

'

}

s

!

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

50

TRANSLATION 1

'tis the fair full moon of Margali. Will ye go bathe, ye girls all zily dight, Ye maidens rich of plenteous Aypadi 2 Bent on your vow ? For all the world to praise, 3 He, son of Nandagopal with sharp sword 4 Fierce toiling ; fair-eyed Yasod's lion-whelp He with the body dark and eyes of red, 5 With face like to the rays of sun and moon 6 he freely 7 _will on us Narayanan, The dram bestow. Ah, Elorembavay

Xovr

1.

:

:

!

Harken, ye happy dwellers in the world, The deeds that we must do to keep our vow, Singing the feet of him, the Lord supreme, Who sleeps upon the hooded snake 8 within The sea of milk. Bathing at break of day Xor ghi nor milk we'll eat we will not paint 9 Onr eyes with black ; flowers shall not deck our hair No deeds unfit we'll do no evil words Well speak but give Jdnd alms, and muse with joy Upon this way. Ah, Elorembavay

2.

;

;

;

3

!

sing the name of him supreme measured the mighty world, 10 we bathe,

we

If as

3.

Who

s

And

say

Will

fall

tis for our vow three rains each month throughout the land, and bring no harm, While kayal fishes leap amid the great Red swelling grain, 11 and in the lily bud The lovely bees shall slumber. Generous, Great cows shall flood the bowls with milk, as soon As we their udders press ; unfailing wealth

Shall 1 s

fill

;

the land. Ah, Elorembavay

!

The month of December-January. Gokda, the home of Krishna's foster-parents, "

3 5

"

10

4 Krishna's foster-father. Yagoda, Krishna's foster-mother. Red Is the colour that shows passion, especially warm affection.

Khcl, frequently used to heighten the beauty of the eyes. lz In the Vamana avatara, There is such plentiful irrigation.

TRANSLATIONS AXD XOTES 4.

51

Great as the sea, O Lord of rain, stint nought Enter the deep and drink and nil thyself ; Then rise on high, with body growing black I Like to the form of the Primeval One 2 Flashing like disc in Padmanabhan's hand 3 His, of the fair broad shoulders Ilike the conch Thundering^ rain on earth like pelting darts Shot from relentless Sarngam,* so that it May prosper,, andjve too, who happy bathe In Margali. Ah, Elorembavay :

;

!

5.

When thus aB pure we come, strewing fair flowers, Adoring, and with songs upon our lips, And meditating in our hearts on him G

5 Mayan, the

The The

child of Northern Mathura 7 Ruler of great Jumna's sacred stream : in the which caste shepherd shining lamp :

8

9

Appeared Darnodaran, who brightly lit 10 faults past and faults His mother's womb :

Cease

s

like to cotton that

Flames into 6.

dust.

within the

Ah, Elorembavay

to

come

fire !

Lo, birds are singing and hast thou not heard ? Heard the white shell's deep sounding in the shrine Of the Bird's Lord? 11 Child, wilt thou not arise? !

Sages and Yogis (holding in their hearts I

Narayarta as the creator of all in the beginning. Vishnu as the lotus-navelled. See Introduction, p. 22. * Vishnu's bow. One of Vishnu's weapons. 5 The Mysterious One, sometimes appealing In ordinary form, as the child Krishna, etc., sometimes revealing* himself as the Supreme ~

3

Being. (See p. 54, note 3

Literally* lasting birthplace.

2.)

Northern Mathura

3

*

lasting'

because Krishna's

Mathura and Gokula, where Krishna's boyhood was spent, are both on the river Jumna. 5 The fact that Krishna was brought up among the shepherds conferred great distinction on their caste. 9 name of Krishna, because as a child he was tied by a cord round his waist to keep him out of mischief. 10 It was a glory for her to have such a child. II Vishnu, whose vehicle is the great kite* Garada. 7

A

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

52

Him who

drained poison from the she-ghoul's breast 1

Lifted his foot and so false

Sakadam2

Confounded and destroyed who takes his rest 3 Upon the serpent in the Flood ) have risen and in their hearts Meekly, rejoice at sound Of HariV name. Ah, Elorembavay !

Hast thou not heard the twittering everywhere, 5 of Anaichattan's mingling voice, O simple maid ? Hast thou not heard the sound Of churning buttermilk, while dairymaids

7.

And sound

With fragrant

From

hair their tinkling necklets toss 6 side to side ? Child, of the maidens queen,

dost thou He, when thou hast heard the song 7 him, Narayanan ? to Kesavan ? thou mistress who of the country art, Oh, Still

To

Open,

I

pray

!

Ah Elorembavay !

!

Cousin, on drowsy cushions fast asleep, In brightly jewelled hall, with lamp alight And incense rising now unloose the bars Of thy bejewelled doors ! aunt of mine Wilt thou not rouse her ? is thy daughter dumb Or is she deaf ? Is it a slumber light, Or through some incantation does she lie In the deep sleep of stupor, while aloud cry great Mayan, Mathavan, Vaikunth,

9,

O

!

?

We

The many names

8 ?

Ah, Elorembavay

1

Thou golden tendril of the blameless herds, Who many a time did milk the youngling cows

11.

1

KrisSana as

a baby drained the

life

from the breast of Putana,

who came to poison him, with her milk, seat by Karhsa. s The demon who entered into the wheel of a cart under which

the

was lying, with a view to crash him. Vishnu reposing upon AdiSesha In the Sea of Milk.

infant Krishna 3

4 fi

7

Hari

is

5

Vishnu.

A bird.

The setting of Krishna's early life is among farm activities. A name of Visfana either the beautiful one with thick hair/ *

:

*

the slayer of the

3

or

demon, Kesi. ^ Vishnu has 1,000 names. For Mayan see p. 51, note 2. Matbavan Jord of the damsel, i e., Lakshmi. Vaikuntha is Vishnu's heaven. The repetition of the thousand names is practised by devotees.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES And mighty were The power

of foes

53

in fight to bring to nought ! Fair as a serpent, thou,

Bright as the peacock, come From every side All thy girl friends are come and crowd thy courts To sing the name of the cloud-coloured One 1 !

Ah

wealthy lady, still thorn stirrest not, speakest not ? What i_s the value of This sleep of thine ? Ah, Elorembavay s

Still

!

12.

O

little

sister of the

wealthy lord

Of lowing milch-cows, yearning for their calves So that the milk from out their udders flows Till all the house is drenched and turned to mud r Dew falling on our heads, we at thy gate Sing our heart's darling,

The Lord

of

Lanka

who

in the

in anger slew

South

3

but thou Remainest dumb e'en still thou dost not rise. What a great sleep is this, when all among The household know Ah, Elorembavay ;

;

!

14. Lo,

how

!

within your garden pool behind,

The water-lily blossoms red, and how The ambal* shrinks Ascetics, in their robes !

Of

and with teeth all white, 5 have gone To sound the conch within their sacred shrine. lady, who didst promise that betimes Thou wouldst rouse ns, thyself art not yet risen. We sing to him who wields Shameless, all tongue In his great hands jhe conch and discus, Lotus-eyed Ah, Elorembavay saffron,

!

Mm

!

'

15. 1

I

Young parrot, 6 dearest, art thou sleeping yet ? Be still Call me no more, ye girls I come."

'

!

;

1

8 3 4 5

Krishna

is always pictured as dark In colour. A_pictnre of overflowing plenty. Rama, who slew Rayana, Lord of Lanka (Ceylon). fiower that opens in the dark and closes in the light. Ascetics do not chew betel, etc,, and their teeth are therefore not

A

oiseolGiireci 8

;

a token

of their purity.

A term of endearment.

HYMSS OF THE ALVARS

54

4*

'

Thy promises and thy sharp tongue we know J

Of old 1

4

'

!

Sharp-tongued yourselves, oh

Oh

let

me

be

* !

quickly come What other claims hast thou ? Coine ? yes thou too must But have all come ? J

!

'

J

;

corne

And count thyself among our band, and sing Him who the mighty one 1 did slay, himself to bring to nought his doughty foes, 2 Ah Elorembavay Mysterious Lord

Mighty

!

Warden

!

s

of our lord

Nandagopan's house, decked with streaming flags, Open the jewelled portals Yesterday3 The Lord of Mystery, like to a gem Promised a drum for us young shepherd girls To beat We in our purity have come That we may sing to rouse him from his sleep. Deny us not our purpose with thy word. But oh, do thou, we pray thee, open now The well-barred door Ah, Elorembavay

16.

Guard

of the gate all

!

?

!

!

17,

O

Nandagopan, lord who graciously Dost raiment, water, rice, bestow on us And thcu our lady, Yasoda, Arise !

s

?

all the slender-waisted ones, glory of our tribe, arise Sleep not 4 Awake, awake, King of the gods, who pierced The sky s and, swelling, measured out the world And dear lad, Baladeva, 6 thou Arise With golden anklets on thy feet,_asleep, And thy young brother T Ah, Elorembavay

Queen among

And

!

!

5 ;

!

!

!

1

The

Kaihsa

reference

is

to Krishna's slaying of the elephant stationed tournament enclosure to Mil 'him when

at the gate of the

came to destroy Kamsa. 2 The personal noun from Maya, which

by he

in the ViSishtadvaita the way in which it deceives* philosophy is equivalent to matter/ from -* " T " "^ A - *-s also frequently used in the sens ished from the sense of illusion ii 3 Krishna, the sapphire-coloured. * Vishnu is supreme over all the gods. s Vishnu in the Vainana avatlra See Introduction, pp. 22, 25. 6 Balarania, Krishna's elder brother, himself a semi-incarnation 7 of Vishnn. Krishna. '

Tt

'

*

r

TRANSLATIONS AXD NOTES 1

Daughter of Nandagopal, ?;hc

18.

A liisiy

55

is like

elephant, who deetfa not 2 With shoulders strong : XapplnnaI thon with hair the then door Diffusing fragrance, open Come see how eveywhere the cocks are crowing, And in the mdtka^f bower the KnyiT* sweet 5 Repeats its song. Thon with a ball in hand, Come, gaily open, with thy lotus hands And tinkling bangles fair, that we may sing 3

3

!

Th

c ousin's

Thou

20*

name

6

!

Ah, Elorembavay

\vho art strong to

!

make them

Going before the three and Avv ake rrom out thy sleep

thirty !

brave in fight/ gods s

Thou who

art just,

mighty, thou, O faultless one, Who burnest up thy foes, awake from sleep O Lady Xappinnai with tender breasts Like unto little cups, with lips of red

Thou who

art

And

!

slender waist, Lakshrni, awake trom sleep Prefer thy bridegroom fans and mirrors now, And let us bathe Ah, Elorembavay !

!

!

Son of the mighty lord of fruitful cows Which milk unceasing pour, so that the bowls Held to receive it troth and overflow Thou who possessest knowledge, Lord of Strength, Thou great one, thou the sun, where in this world

21.

:

Thou standest visible 8 As foes, whose strength

arise

:

from sleep

before thee

!

all is

gone,

Corne humbly to thy gates, and at thy feet Obeisance do, so we to adore thee corne, And sing our praise Ah, Elorembavay !

1

Literally 2

!

*

'

The one

daughter-in-law.

3 f

'Radlia, Krishna s gopl devotee. She is regarded as an Incarnation of Vishnu's consort, NIla-DevI* as be -with beautiful hair

Vishnu. 4 The Indian hawk-cuckoo. Because she was playing- with Krishna. e She was having a playfel quarrel with Krishna, and they offer to take her side in song, if she will open to them. 7 In the event of any conflict between gods and demons. 8 Krishna, as foster-son of Nandagopal, is here apostrophised and

himself "

is of

*

A flowering creeper.

____

s

identified with the

Supreme Being.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

56

Like monarchs of the beautiful great world Who coine with broken pride up to thy couch In a great company, we crowd to thee 1 Little by little will not thy red eyes like to us lotus flowers Open upon Fashioned on tinkling anklets ? If on us Thou wilt but glance, with both thy beauteous eyes Like to the rising of the moon and sun,

22.

!

The If

is removed Ah, Elorembavay

curse that rests uponjis

thou but glance

!

!

As

a fierce lion, which throughout the rains Within his mountain lair has lain asleep, Awakes, and Hashes tire from his eye, And angrily with bristling inane he moves All of his body, shakes himself and stands Upright, and roars, and lordly issues forth So thou who flowerlike art, come graciously Forth from thy shrine in grace, upon thy throne 2 Of cunning craftsmanship, search out the cause That brings us here. Ah Elorembavay

23.

:

;

!

}

25 . Thou, born one woman's son, and in one night ConceaTd and reared as another's child, 3 Thou mighty Mai 4 who wast as very fire In Kamsa's heart stirred unendurably ; Thwarting the evil purpose that he plann'd With longing after thee we've come, and if The drum thou but bestow, then we will sing :

Thy

bounty, that is worthy Lakshmi's self. Sing too thy might ; and all our trouble gone

We will rejoice Ah !

s

Elorembavay

2

Govinda whose nobility

27.

,

As conquers

is

e'en thy foes,

1

See p. 50, note

s

In the original there

!

such

by singing thee

5. Is

a play on words, throne s

Eon-seat, 1 a

'

being- literally

Krishna born to Devaki and transferred the same night to 4 YaSSda to escape the fury of Kanasa, bis uncle. Vishnu. 8

A favourite name for Krishna' Cowherd/

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

57

Is the glory that we gain By the prize that aH the country deems a boon ? Many a jewel we put on bracelets

With the cram, what

Wristlets

For

ears,

and armlets, Sowerlike ornaments and anklets beauteous robes we wear. ;

Thereafter, plenteons meals of rice with milk. And elbow-deep in ghi In_company \

With

thee,

what

bliss

!

Ah, Elorembavay

!

After the cows we to the jungle go And eat there cowherds knowing nought are we, And yet how great the boon we have, that thou

28*

bom among us Thou who lackest nought, Oovinda, kinship that we have with thee Here in this place can never cease If through Our love we call thee baby names, in grace Do not be wroth, for we, like children, we Know nought O Lord, wilt thou not grant to us The drum we ask ? Ah, Elorembavay Wast

!

!

!

Dost ask the boon

which at earliest dawn We come to give obeisance and to praise Thy golden lotus feet ? It is not fit that thou Born in the tribe that lives by herding cows Withdraw, rejecting us who fain would serve. To gain the drum, not ior today alone Have we become thy slaves but, Govinda, For aye, for sevenfold births Only to thee We'll service give from us do thou remove

29,

for

;

!

;

All other loves. Ah, Elorembavay

!

To Mathavan who churned the navied deep, 1 To Kesavan,2 the moon-faced jewelled maids

30.

Went and

obeisance did, and gained their drum 3 This wreath, these thirty (sung in classic verse 4 6 5 Puduvai By Godai, Pattarpiran's,

1

3 3

See Introduction, p.

Seep.

22.

By

churning, Visfarra obtained

!

Lakstai

52, note 7. *

Sangana Tamil, 'I.e., Tamil sncb. as is approved by tins probably the famous Madura academy, the board which exercised a kind of literary autocracy, recnrrmgly, throughout the 4 classical Andal. period of Tamil literature. _ ^P 5 SrivilliputtTar, Andal's home. See Introduction, p. 14 f 6 Or Periyalvar, Andal's reputed father. Literally

academy

:

Jh

,^_

*

*

*

.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

58

With cool

who

fresh lotus garlands) they

say

1

everywhere shall gain from Mai (His arms like mountains four, his face kind-eyed, And wealthy Lakshmi jby him) sacred grace, And bliss enjoy Ah, Elorembavay

Unfailing,

!

!

X NAMMILVAR to

INTRODUCTION Exigencies of space

make

impossible to

it

give any

selection from the Tiruvaymoli ; and the Tirumruttam must therefore stand as the representative in this selection 2 It would be easy to of poems of the work of Naminalvar. illustrate

Ms wholehearted

*

If

thus

I

speak,

it

In one place he sings

devotion.

means

hostility

;

Yet speak I will, so hark to me While he, my lord, my elephant, my Is here, of Vengadarn, with choir !

sire,

Of buzzing beetles, ne'er to man shall be The gift of my lips' minstrelsy/ 3

He

refuses to degrade his God-given gift in order to

however powerful or wealthy they may be. Elsewhere we find his sublime confidence in the absolute If with your supremacy of the Vishnu whom he sings sweet songs you praise each Ms own favourite god, all will come to my Tirumal, with his crown of bright-shining H In another series of stanzas, after enumerating many rays. I to speak ways of trying to name Krishna, he asks, please men,

'

:

*

Am

lord of mystery, who for the joy of deliverance created ail the worlds, who wears his sweet blossoming tolas! for the worlds to praise, as the one with colour like a shining jewel, or as him who wears matted hair and the cool crescent moon (Siva), ever to be praised as the unique 5 Whatever the One, or as the four-faced god (Brahma) ? form, Vishnu, Siva, or Brahma, the object of worship is of

my

'

1

I.e., 3

in every birth.

TiTMvaymoli

III,

9:1.

2

See Introduction, p. 13.

*

ibid.,

iii,

9

:

6.

5

Ibid.,

Ill,

4

:

8

XAMilALVAR, WITH MATHURAKAVI AT HIS FEET i

From a bronze

In the

Madras Museum

)

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

59

4

Even those who have forsaken their homes and the many beauties they have long enjoyed, who have subdued the nve senses, and have tortured the body

one.

And

again,

their sweet abode, if they are without him, they will return. Draw near the feet of the Lord who has the bird (Garuda) as his standard then * there is no return/ The Tiruviruttam of Nammilvar is said to contain the Quintessence of the Rig Veda. In form_it is a poem of one hundred four-line stanzas, in which the Alvar expresses the longing of his soul for union with God, under the figure of the love of a maid for a man. The persons of the poem In general the lord are not consistently maintained. represents the god Vishnu, and the Alvar pictures his own yearning as that of the mistress for her absent lover, with his attendant devotees playing the part of the confidential maid, and sometimes of the foster-mother go-between. In some stanzas, however, the parts are changed, and the Alvar's longings find expression in the words of the lover speaking of his mistress. There is no consecutive action in the poem, and no progress of thought ; but we must imagine the lover as corning and going in the intervals of the verse. Sometimes the poet seems almost to forget his fignre and to speak in his own person (e.g., stanza 48). The language of the original is close-packed and frequently obscure and ambiguous. An attempt has been made to provide a running but analysis, and some hints as to the esoteric meaning nothing can make it easy reading. The Tamil student himself requires pages of commentary on each stanza. The note of the Tirnviruttam is one of almost tin relieved yearning for God, that is at first sight difficult to reconcile with the doctrine of His grace. In the Bhagavata Parana (Book x, chapter 32) Krishna justifies this, in words which I do not may be taken as a commentary on this poem attach myself to those who are devoted to me, in order to make their devotion to me the more intense-' And again, * la order to intensify your affection for me I disappear, forsaking you who have for my sake renounced your sense

though they gain Svarga as

:

'

*

}

;

'

:

of right and wrong, your relatives and your duty/ li iv,

1:9.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

60

The object of the AlvaYs desire is the god Vishnu, especial1 ly as manifested in the great Venkatesvara temple at Tinipati. is of erotic sacred if the poetry simplified (The understanding of recurring symbols is held in generally-accepted esoteric meaning mind. The analysis of the states of the love-sick soul is carried to an stanza in Sanskrit says extreme. 'Love carries parted souls through ten successive states: I. The 3. The will is resolved 4. eve is drawn ; 2. The heart is attacked 7. The soul is Sleep is gone ; 5. The frame pales ; 6, All is loathed mad 8. It becomes senseless 9. It swoons 10. It dies.' Devotees can of course develop the interpretation as far as they wish, and individual interpretations vary but the following general key may be taken as typical of the esoteric method of interpretation. By the mother is meant either the devotee's own state of mental composure, or friends who keep their mental composure. By the bride is meant the paroxysm of love for God, and galaxy of God-loved souls. Female friends mean the circle of well-wishers. The bridegroom is God, and the company of God-loved souls. The messengers are holy ones who lead the devotee to God, etc. The beauty of the eye indicates the the proper perfection of discerning wisdom, which determines aright object of love. The beauty of the breast means the development of devotion or holy love, manifested by complete obedience the sine qua non of the soul 'sen joying and being enjoyed by God. The slimness of the waist denotes freedom from every encumbrance in the shape of ungodly ties. Beauty of walk is righteous conduct. Soft flowing kair, that adornment of the head which is constituted by ever bowing reverently to God and the godly galaxy. Beauty of dress means equipment for the heavenly journey in the shape of firmness of faith. The bracelet* the badge of a married woman's chastity, suggests the of incompatibility of the existence in the devotee of any object attachment other than the Lord. Darkness stands for ignorance. The wind, the anril bird, etc., which are named as causes of pain, are all objects of sense which call to mind the cause of grief to the soul, separated from the Lord, and are thus unbearable so long as that separation lasts. The length of the night suggests the impatience of the soul to reach the Lord, and the grief that is accentuated by non-enjoyment of him, at a time specially associated with enjoyment. The moonlight being unbearable indicates the pain which the conscious state brings to the devotee when he does not realise God's presence. Sunshine is the wisdom wMch teaches patience and so gives solace. The roaring of the sea Is the unreasonable rage of those who are sinning in estrangement from God.)

A

:

;

;

,-

;

;

;

;

3 Tirapati in the Chittoor District, or Tiravengadam, to the devout * Vaishnava is simply Tirnmalai,' the holy hm. Its" temple on the top of the toll, approached by long and toilsome flights of steps, seven miles from Tinipati town, is one of the great places of pilgrimage in India. 2 For the substance of this note, including the translation from the Sanskrit, I am indebted to MS. notes kindly lent me by M. R. Ry. AGovindacfcarya Svamin, of Mysore, s

*

3

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES TIRUVIRUTT AM Invocation

1.

ike

:

3

61

TRANSLATION

Alvar prays'

be delivered

to

from

rebirth*

Be gracious. Lord 4 Born in all births

Thy

3

of all the heavenly ones, to save all lives, and hear

servant's plea.

Grant, not again

may

I

Such nature win as this ray body ionl, Wisdom unsound, and character denied. 5 2. The maid speaks, seei?ig the state of her mistress, unable to endure separation irowi her lard, who has left ker (Here tke_ maid sta?ids for the Alvars disciples^ the mistress for the Alvdr the lord for Vishnu). 3

love, this girl with luring locks, 6 7 the feet that heavenly ones adore, s The feet of Kannan, dark as rainy clouds Her red9 eyes all abrim with tears of grief. 10 Like darting Kay a! fish in a deep pool.

Long may she

Who loves

:

1

Tiruviruttam

stanza -

:

sacred messages from the Alvar to

God.

cf.

I.

The whole poem

is the Alvar's prayer, cf stanza 100, the unwinking ones,' I.e., the devas. Here probably used of the Nityas. See p. 73, note 2. 4 The reference is to Vishnu's avataras, as fish, tortoise, etc. 5 la lines 4 and 5 the three bars to salvation are named. Vishnu is approached as the one means of deliverance from aH of them, The contrast frequently emphasised, between the devotee's bead and the lord's feet, suggests that the devotee's highest glory is the service of God. 7 i.e., the Nityas, who have never been in bondage and never .

'

Literally

'"

needed release. s Kannan or Krishna, who is always represented as dark in colour. The word may be a pet dimintrtive, or it may mean he who has eyes r '

('like the lotus,' understood). * Red is the colour that shows tie passion of love the English 4 association of red with weeping * must be banished. 10 The comparison of the eye with the fish is frequent* the resemblance being in the swift and gleaming movement of both. :

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

62

mistress, unable to

The.

3.

and speaks

endure

separation,

her maid, doubting if her heart has gone after the lord, will ever return to her* heart

to

',

loses

which

WilTt stay or come again, my lonely heart 1 (Which has pursued the "bird flame-angry, driven 2 arm'd with fatal wheel, By the lord of tulasi, Whom gods adore!) The piping cowherds' girl 3 Bhudevi, Sri, his shadows, it perceives

?

1

What room is there for the devotee when Vishnu has the unceasing devotion of his three consorts? The Alvar distrusts his own power of devotion when he thinks of theirs. 4. Plaint of the mistress deserted by her lord, and unable to endure the wind which reminds her of him.

Wind

that art talasi-poisoned, blowing thoughts

Of him who drain'd the traitress demon's breast, 4 Oh, shame to come and fill with trembling me, Me, whom his bird ere now of her one heart

Has

reft

!

No

heart for tulasi remains.

The wind, which should be comforting, is filled with memories that make it painful The devotee's heart has already been drawn by the Vedas (v._note 1 infra) to make a complete surrender to God and thus the wind stanza 5 etc.

is

merely whetting an appetite that

it

cannot

satisfy, cf .

,

1

lises

*

The bird* is Garada, the vehicle of Vishnu, This generally symboVeda with its twofold course of learning and discipline. See

the

Introduction, p. 22. 2 The lord of tujasi ' is Vishnu. Tulasi cool and fair is tjie small plant venerated in every orthodox Hindu household. It is akin to the Basil * of Keats 1 poem. In poetry it symbolises chastity, and 4

'

'

'

he wears a garland of it. three consorts of Vishnu ; in his incarnations one or other of these took appropriate form to be his companion. In this passage Sri orLakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and Bhudevi, the earth goddess, are fitly named as they are the consorts of Vishnu himself : the piping cowherds' girl, however, is Nappinnai (She of the Beautiful Hair), the form that Nila took to be the companion of Vishnu in the Krishna avataxa. * The infant Krishna sucked the life out of the demon* Putana, who came in the guise of a nurse and offered him her poisoned breast. She was one of the many agents sent by Kamsa, to kill Krishna.

it is

3

4

distinctively Vishnu's, as

The

1

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

63

5. The pity of the maid on seeing her mistress colour through grief because of ike hostile wind.

loss

of

Hot in this village now doth blow the breeze Whose nature coolness is. Hath he, this once, The rain-cloud lined, his sceptre turned aside To steal the love-glow from my lady, lorn For

tulasi,

with wide eyes raining tears

?

The

character of the wind seems changed because of the absence of the beloved lord the justice even of God is doubted by a devotee yearning for fuller union. ;

The mistress

1,

season,

is

troubled at the

of the rainy to her in stands for Alvar,

coming

which should have -brought her lord back

fulfilment of 3 'lord for

Ms

promise.

(*

Mistress

*

which the strong dark bulls 1 Pawing the ground till Earth shakes, sweat and fight ? Is this the cool fair time that takes the form Of Tirtimal, 2 and sounds Ms harshness who Is gone ? Sinful, I know not what I see. The clouds of passion confuse the spiritual apprehension, and make Is this the sky in

t

it

impossible to be sure of the signs of the Lord's coming. 9.

The lord speaks l

mistress.^ for the

(

of the difficulty of parting from his ' the Alvars devotees, mistress t

Lord* stands for

Ah, who can leave her, like a creeper hung With glorious flowers, like unto Vishnu's3 heaven ? Are these but eyes ? Nay, lotus, HHes red, Wide petals, lined in black, and all abrim With pearls* of white wide, Eke a shy deer's eyes. The devotees having heard the Alvai's words and seen the greatness of his devotion are unable to leave In his company^they feel that they are experiencing the bliss of heaven itself.

Mm

;

1

The bulls are a figure for rain-clouds. Tirainal the lord of Tint (or Sri or Laksfamf), colour is dark like a cloud. -

3

^Vishnu 'in

the original this

is

*

he_

beautiful, bright sharp discus.' His heaven 4 The pearls are of course tears.

is

who

is

Vishnu, whose

wields the strong*

Vsikuatha.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

64

The U'ords of the lord on seeing his mistress* eyes with tears at the thought of separation* (' Lord' stands mistress' for Alvar*) for devotees 11.

fill

*

,

Oh

rare the vision of today Thou maid bliss like Kannan's heaven, I say He that seeks wealth must needs go far lo 1 2 Thy fish-like eyes, large as a hand, with pearls !

That givest

'and

Asbine, and gold a ransom for the world The hint that his devotees might leave him to seek

!

1

s

for other

has brought to light hitherto unsuspected qualities

spiritual wealth

in

the Alvar.

The mistress parted from her lord laments her

12.

endure the separation.

inability to

Alvar

'

('

Mistress

stands for

>

lord

,

for Vishnu}.

Love's glow is paling, and instead, a dark And sickly yellow 3 spreading and the night Becomes an age This is the matchless wealth My good heart gave me when it yearned and sought Keen discus-wielding Kannan's tnlasi cool ;

I

I

14.

The lord praises c

mistress, for

(

the beauty of the eyes of his Lord' stands for the Alvar s devotees, mistress* t

1

This cleaving lance, this beauteous Sel 4 they leap life, and leave it not : they flash 5 Lustre of Mayan's shafts they 'd match his sky Whose form gives forth the sapphire's 6 flame. Are .

.

Upon my

:

these,

These Kayal plump^ thine

eyes, thou goddess-like

7

?

1

cf. stanza 2, note. The fish referred to here is the Kendai, larger than the kayaL Hote also that Vishnu's fast incarnation was a fish, for the saving of the world. Pearls 'tears as in stanza 9. She weeps at the thought of *

parting-. 3

Her jaundiced colour shows her disconsolate state and night when loneliness is most poignantly felt, seems like an eternity * of pain The Sei is a fish. 1 s Maran, the Indian Cupid Kama. :

the time

:

*

1

Vishrni

Is

of the bine colour of the sapphire.

The goddess referred type of seductive beauty.

to,

though not actually named

s

is

Mohini, the

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES 18.

The mistress parted from her lord marvels at the

darkness *

65

her

to

friend,

('Mistress* stauds for Alvar,

lord' for Vislmu],

Kannan's heaven, when he's away It Is He here, a span Whether friends stay for many days, or go, We grieve. Yet, be this spreading darkness blest 1 In spite of many a cunning trick it has.

Thon,

What

fair as

ages long

!

!

Times of conscious communion with God seem all too short, times of separation insufferably long, so that In any case the soul suffers from the vagaries of time. 17. The mistress gases at the sea and speaks of the vanished track of the lord's chariot*

where, on his serpent conch, stormy sea, 2 Rests Perumal, Hke to a bright black sun Of sapphire, pouring forth glowing darkness Make not a dusk with thy full waves, nor hide Hail,

!

Track

of his car

who

left

me

in the dark,

18, The maid speaks in pity for her mistress who is dejected because ike rainy season has come and her lord has

not returned.

The sky has gripped

the sea and risen the sea 3 In turn has taken hold of sky. Is this 4 That time when ocean seizes Kannan's earth And heaven and rises high, or but the time Of showers ? . . Her tears are flowing like the sea. :

.

1

Ironical praise.

Pemmal Vishnu, who rests always on Adis"esfaan, the primeval serpent on the sea of milk. The sea Is a figure for the worldly life which tends to obscure the Alvar's thought of his fellow devotees the track of the car possibly indicates his memory of them. cf . for the description of the indistingtushabillty of sea and sky Winters Tale, HI, Hi. * Is i.e., the time of Pralaya, the great deluge that ends an age. this the complete absorption of the temporal in the eternal, or a more ? occasion ordinary 2

:

;

A

*

'

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

66

The foster-mother's lament

19.

a?id there is

much

the lord has not

:

come

milage, scandal.

E'en when the black clouds rank on rank thus rise J1 Challenging Who of maids will keep her pure ? l

Her lord, the swizt bird's rider, 2 called her not, Xor tulasi gave My girl with her few words The village tongues now rend Oh, comfort her !

!

!

so overflowing chat It draws meek souls to him, the devotee has received no mark of favour from him. His words have been few, because surely God does not need any persuasion to be gracious.

Even when God's grace

is

A

foolish attempt is made by means, of a devil-driver 20. rid tke mistress of her frenzy ; but the devil- driver is dismissed ; her frenzy comes from too august a source for such treatment, to

Her pain is from a god exceeding great From no slight god who lists to wheedling words 4 Yon with the trident, stop Ye mothers, hark 5 Naming Ms name who swallow d the seven worlds !

3 !

!

J

Garland her head with Severance from

false

fair,

gods and

condition for reaching the bliss of Lord.

21. bulls to

cool tulasi.

their influence

is

the necessary

communion with the Supreme

His friend reminds the lord of show his prowess to Ms mistress.

his

subduing

While heavenly ones to wreathe thee held pure SprinHed fresh water, offered incense sweet, There thon by mystery 5 rare didst go to steal 1

The

implication

is

the

flowers,

that the rainy season is peculiarly fatal to

self -control. 2

Vishnu rides on Garuda as his vehicle. The minor gods are susceptible to bribery or cajolery or coercion ; not so Vishnu himself. 4 The devil -driver has a trident. s Vishnu shallowed the worlds to preserve them at the time of the *

Flood. a

note

Maya, God's incomprehensible greatness and grace 2.

;

cf. p.

54

K

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES And

67

1

eat the butter stored, and dance mid hump'd oxeiij for the cowherds' willowy girl.

Hcrn'd

God

Ever, though in heaven

worshipped by the heavenly

is

he rejoices tc condescend and show en's rhcf.eht

fcis

hosts, interest in the things that hold

en earth.

24. The mother laments ike absorption of ike mistress, unable to endure separation from ike lord. ( Mistress mother for devotees, lord for stands for the Alvar, Vishnu?) {

'

*

What With

Who

will befall ray girl

with bracelets

'

fair

tearful eyes like gleaming kayal big, wanders with a secret pain at heart

For blooms

Who

5

(

from the Bird's Lord* 2 protected flocks in storm ?

of tulasi fresh

with that

hill

The devotees are concerned at the utter absorption of the Alvar in the thought of Vishnu. 25. Tke words of that izilasl iL'orks. for Vislnm.]

What

in this

mistress, marvelling at tke wonders 5 stands for the Alvar, lord

t lie ('

Mistress 3

world

will tulasi

not do 4

(Plant of the king the king of mighty gods, Lord of all heavenly ones, 3 onr lord !) since it ;

1 Krishna as a youth did what the caste custom of the cowherds demanded by dancing for the bride, Nappinnai and no less most be demanded of him now. 2 Krishna protected the cowherds from the angry rain of Indra, by Holding over them the mountain, Govartihaaa. ;

3 Literally fourfold world jungle, motmtain, cultivated Iand sea there is also a fifth division, referred to in stanza 26, of barren land, without water and shade, 4 Vishnu is superior to Brahma, lord of Satya, who was bom from his navel* 5 Heavenly ones, who are higher than the gods mentioned in 1. 2 ; ihrotigh their devotion they have secured emancipation. The minor of these Brabma is chief, cf . gods, like men, are still in bondage stanza 43, note. *

*

}

;

;

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

68

Has loos'd my bracelet1 and has crooked turn'd The rod that rales o'er Kannan's earth and heaven ? The Alvar complains of the pain of devotion, leading him to doubt the righteousness of God's universal sway, because h!s own oass^on is IS, rt not being satisfied.

a^"a".rT

"^"^

*rtj *"*- \JjL,L

26. The lord s/i&ws Ms city to his mistress, at ike end of a lon_g a?id weary journey stands for friends (' Lord ' of the Alvar * mistress for Alvar). *

*

.__

O

2 golden girl, the barren land Is past, Spat out as refuse when the lord_ of heat Chewed dry 3 the lands r Vehka 5 is nigh, of him Whom heavenly ones adore, their feet on earth c And there, sweet groves, wealth for ail barrenness The Alvar is encouraged to persevere through a period :

4

3

dryness

',

of

in h:s soul.

The mistress parted from her lord sorrows at

28.

breeze

!

which vainly

the

stirs her passion,

Tulasi has stofn my bracelets let them go 7 But now a breeze stalks feeling for my bloom :

!

.

.

.

Srirangam's lord (where waves play, so that shells Are pecked not by the sharp-beaked birds), 8 show grace In olden days were ever hearts so sad ?

!

Congous with a fresh vividness of separation, the Alvar wonders If any time others can have known such agony of unsatisfied yearning for^God he appeals to God by a reference to his grace as manifested

at

;

in Sriraiigam. 1 The bracelet has slipped oS because she has grown thin through the wind that has made her lovesick with the scent of the tulasi; Vishnu is accused of partiality because of his apparent harshness the tulasJ upsets aE the government of God, from a trifle like a lover's * trinket to the universe itself. See note on stanza 25. s The sun \vith his rays sucks all the goodness from the land. * The fourfold lands as in stanza 25 ; every kind of soil. s Vehka, one of the 32 Vishnu shrines at Conjeeveram. * On earth, i.e., at the shrine. Ordinarily their feet do not touch earth : tins shows their humility and the glory of this shrine. 7 The tulasi and the wind are both her enemies again, the one her the other thin, making: robbing her of her colour. 8 The great temple at grirangam is on an island in the Kavexi River the river is so full that the shells on its banks are covered by the water, and thus protected from birds. This is a manifestation of God's grace even to shells. :"

:

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

69

The mistress speaks with hatred of the swans whom to lake a message to her lord. us she begs to go an envoy, Lacking Her errands and the swans the base-born birds No message took, gone with their hens 1 Alas Have women's messages no right ol way In the world of Vishnu, blue and lightning bright ?

29.

she has

asked in vain

4

s

!

!

!

The Alvar tries In vain to reach God through mediators ; those^fae approaches are wrapped tip In their own interests and fail to help him. 30. The mistress pleads with swans and herons to take her message* {The swans having failed her she now includes a lower order in her appeal^) ,

The

flying

swans and herons

did beg

1

I

,

*

Cringing Forget not, ye who first arrive* 2 If ye behold my heart with Kannan there of and ask it not me, Oh, speak Sir, yet Hast thou returned to her ? And is it right ? :

*

3

The Alvar finds at last some who are directing their course to God and pleads with them not to forget the need of others he urges his own crying need as a first claim on them. He suggests that if his devotion brings no enjoyment of God, it will be better for his affection to be withdrawn, that so he may at least be free from the pain of ;

1

unrequited love.

31-

The

mistress laments tkat the clouds will not take her

message.

The

clouds that take their way till lightnings flash pinnacles of strong-based Vengadam With lightning back of gold and precious stones.

On

Refuse

me when

Would

they,

if

I

ask them bear my word . . 3 my head beneath their feet ? .

asked,

The messengers having failed him, doubting the propriety of such a message as he has given, he approaches others (clouds) already familiar with the sacred

1

mount

of

God

at Tirupati.

The swans with

their mates despise her, as she is alone. Vaiknntha. 3 They refuse for mere asking would they perhaps agree rny head nnder their feet ? 2

i.e.,

in

heaven

:

:

if I

put

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

70

*

The mistress speaks of a resemblance between

32.

and

clouds

the

her lord.

Tell me, ye clouds, how have ye won the means That ye are thus like Tirumal's blest form ? 1 Bearing good water for protecting life, Ye range through all the sky. Such penance, 2 sure, As makes your bodies ache, has won this grace The sight of those who give themselves In service to others lifts !

the Alvar's heart to God, of

whom

The friend rebukes

33.

inconsolable because of

Ms

tip

they remind him.

the lord^ on seeing her mistress absence.

With gracious discus thou thy

sceptre wieid'st,

And

dark deeds perish in broad heaven and earth, Thou serpent-couched But (whether scorning worth Of girls, or thinking she's outside thy field, I know not) thou destroy st my lady's bloom. !

s

Friends impressed by the effects of unsatisfied yearning in the Alvar plead with God to be merciful ; as In his own abode he rests on

a faithful servant, the serpent, so on earth.

The friend seeing her

34.

him favour

devotee

his faithful

mistress* state of distress

to the lord.

speaks *

let

'

The

3

she pettish cries rings have spoilt it all ! And spurns the rings with angry little feet Her heart is on a garland set, of cool Fair tujasl, full of thy unfading blooms. . . 4 Mai, I know not what to do for her. .

O

The Alvar is impatient his heart resolutely *

The

of

all self-help,

rinding

it

useless,

and

sets

on God's grace alone.

clouds are dark Eke Vishnu's body* and, like Vishnu, benefit

aU the world. *

The popular belief is that the greater the boon the greater must have been the penance that has won it. s The reference is to a game, similar to the He loves me, loves '

me

1

not played in England with petals of flowers. Concentric circles are drawn in the sand and then counted, an odd number meaning" one tiling, an even another. In this case the answer they had given was not * Vishnu. auspicious to ber.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

71

35. The mistress laments at the evening and the breeze conspiring against her, as if Hie coming of tJie darkness were not sufficiently painhiL

That Eve (maid of the western sky, in grief parting sun with milky-mouth d young moon Like babe on hip) may snatch all good from those That love the tulasi of Hal who strode The world, now conies a chill wind searching me The Alvar, cut off from enjoyment of God at the time associated J

At

!

with enjoyment, is yet further pained by the sight of those outward things which give transient joy to others, but are barriers to enjoying

God. 36.

The friend speaks

of

tJie

callousness of the lord.

E'en in this age-long time of so-called night When men must grope, he pities not that she Stands in her deep immitigable grief 1 Naming his tulasi Ah, his cruelties, Who once destroyed Lanka's crowded halls 3 !

friends cannot understand God's failure to relieve the numb : the Alvar is utterly grief of the Alvar, and speak in criticism of dependent on him, and is unable to make any personal efforts.

The

37.

Mm

The pity of

The

mother at the dangers of daughter has passed, f Mis-

ike mistress*

the jungle through which her tress* stands for Alvar.)

jungle traversed by the fawn-eyed girl fragile waist, whom sinful I brought forth

With

3

After long praise of Randan's lotus-feet, Is full of drumbeats hunters with tent bows, Raiders, and murderers, and young warriors swift

!

in his search after The senses make continual assaults God. His persistent devotion excites the admiration of his followers.

on the Alvar

1 He is cruel in that he allows her none of the many consolations she might have. 2 Rama for the sake of Sita did this and yet now the Lord seems to ignore Ms mistress' need. * Penance is the means by which boons to any extent may be won from the gods. Note in stanza 38 the different types of tordship that

are suggested, each characteristic of ascetic practice,

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

72

The mistress parted from far lord sees a likeness in the blue water-lilies.

38.

him

w

Is It by penance, passing by rough ground, Your stems strength entering pools, and standing 5

there

For days, that ye have won, blue flowers, the hue 1 Of sprightly Penman, who pot-dance danced 2 And, earth and heaven a-tremble strode the worlds f

The mistress

39,

3

?

form

sees the repealing- of the lord's

everywhere*

AH

places, sMning like great lotus pools a blue mountain broad* to me are but The beauties of his eye the lord of earth Girt by the roaring sea, heaven's lord, the lord Of other good souls/ black-hued lord and mine

On

The devout 41.

The

soul of the

?nis tress

Alvar

sees

God

!

in everything.

speaks in sorrow of the

wind

that

torments her.

knew

was harsh, but ne'er have seen of cruelty so great Now (while no grace he grants who rides the bird So that proud demons die) the harsh wind spreads Scandal abroad persists in crushing me

I

the wind

A shape or hint

!

!

The intensity of the soul's longing for God, increased by everything that gives a transient joy to others, is misunderstood and made the object of derision. 1 TheYeference is to Vishnu's killing of the demon, Banastira, in the custom among sbepherds, in times of special prosstory of Anirudha. perity, is to dance with rows of pots on their heads and shoulders, and in their hands, 3 3 In the Vamana avatara. i-e., with awe. 4 Other good souls/ such as are neither in earth nor in heaven. The word translated heaven * refers to a state below the position of the other good souls/ who are the fully emancipated ; cf. stanza 43, note 2.

A

'

*

'

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES 2.

The mistress

73

absorbed in the beauty of her lord's

is

eyes graciously bent on her,

Like pools of soft-stemmed lotus, as they lie A-bloom, on one side, bent by blasts, they shine My lord's great eyes on me, who at the sky Gazing,

The Alvar 43.

bow

at his feet, who seems to say stride, earth and heaven do not suffice

my

For

l

conscious of God's grace.

is

The mistress speaks of

beatific

* !

ike

beauty

her

of

lord's

form.

Can they who wiser are than heavenly ones, Can those of higher grade, or higher still, 2 The colour of the beauty of my Lord Compute like a great mountain black with eyes Like lotus red,

The Alvar

like lotus

hands and

feet

?

led to contemplate God In fuller attributes but confesses that to estimate these is beyond the powers of any created is

intelligence.

44.

The mistress speaks of

the greatness of her lord*

Sages with wisdom won by virtuous toil Assert 'His colour, glorious beauty, name* His form are such and such/ But all their toil Has measured not the greatness of my lord Their wisdom's light is but a wretched lamp. :

Many have tried to sum up God in a formula, but in no one particular have they succeeded, each being limited by his own powers of perception. 45.

The mistress seeks by the lord

the help given

to reassure kerself by recalling in ike time of the great flood.

The boar with lotus eyes Peace, timid heart In that time perilous gazed steadily !

1

in

In the Tri-Vikrama avataxa Vishnu strode over earth and sky

two 2

strides.

The

three grades are

(a)

Devas is

:

in heaven, but

still

in

bondage of s

whom Brahma

the head. souls.

(6)

Emancipated

(c)

NityetsiteasG

who have never been in bondage.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

74

On

1

have others such a bond ? Of old with him. Oh say, can births That men beset, come near to us again ? 2 The Alvar seeks to reassure himself by the thought that he us

i

We companied

lias

once

been saved and can never lapse from that state of grace.

The mistress mourns because she has

46.

her heart,

lost

Vain thought of those who count their heart their own And guileless, fain would send it messages When mine I sent up to the feet of him Who cleft the golden-named one's mighty breast, 3 It left me, and still haunts him stubbornly The Alvar speaks 'of Ms heart set wholly on God. !

!

48. The mistress is cheered by a good omen and speaks her friend, who asks her whether her cJieer fulness is due anything her twd had said to her.

The

to to

showing in a sore what knows it of the world ? Or I of cunning Mai's deceitful words Which made me, shameless, speak of him? Always A lizard's chirps have been a valued word 4 feeble insect

There goes

its

way

:

!

The Alvar is reminded

in his despondency that the songs he sings are modes" of expression for God, who uses even the humblest and can he understand most ignorant creatures for his purposes. God's words to Mm, which have inspired Ms song ?

How

The lord speaks

50.

to his charioteer.

Drive, charioteer, that paleness may not touch The glowing lustre of the bright-browed girl 5 Swiftly our car must reach the mountain where !

1

The

mistress here identifies herself with one of Vishnu's consorts, who at the time of the deluge was rescued by Vishnu in the Boar avatara. The lord is thus in a special way pledged to her. 3 The haunting fear of rebirth comes to the front.

Bhudevi,

3 Vishnu cf stanza 30 Hiranya golden-named '. :

.

in the

Narasimha avatara slew the asura

*

4

The utmost importance

is attached to the sounds of the lizard, are auspicious or inauspicious according to the time, direction, in which they are heard. Tirupati, the mountain par excellence for Srl-Vaishnavas.

wMcb etc,, ffi

2;-

"

a

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES hum and streams descend like wreaths Upon the lofty crown of heaven's lord.

Bees

4

75

white

pearl ,

own minds

Friends seeing the Aivar's despondency speak to their car of the mind, Imagination) to hasten to cheer him, 1

The mistress laments^ unable

51.

sound of

to bear the

the sea.

The

sea, that could not nectar win again, Got by the lord of mystery, 'mid tossing waves * With hill for churning-rod, serpent for rope 2

Joins with sweet tulasi clamours for its right 3 In shells which seamen gave me for a price !

The Alvar is conscious of the attempts made by those who do not God to divert him from his devotion, and to rob him of its fruits. The sea stands for irreligious men, the churning rod for seamen for sages who faith, the rope for spiritual eagerness, the have crossed the dangers of life and are now fixed on the truth, the shells for the purity that comes in their disciples when they pay the care for

J

'

(

'

*

'

'

J

'

'

price of full obedience.

The friend

tries to console tJne mistress by suggesting not really the rainy season, when her lord is expected again but that the appearance of it is due to

52.

that this

is

,

Bhildems

tears.

When

shyly, lotus-lipped with rain-cool eyes,

CalTd by dark ocean,* by 5

its

white waves led,

Sri climbed the seipent couch* Bhidevi 1

Vishnu

wept :

in the churning of the ocean from winch, among other nectar emerged, used the mountain, Mandaragiri, as churniEg-rod and the serpent, Vasuki, as rope. 2 The sea and the tulasl seem alike to be her enemies. * Right * ie., like a litigant with a claim for joint ownership. 3 Shells, which now form her treasured bracelet. 4 The sea of milk, grown dark because of the colour of Vishnu who lies on it. Its waves are pictured as hands and fingers. 3 Sridevi (Lakshmi) and Bhudevi are Vishnu's consorts. Lakshmi was born in the Sea of Milk (at the time of the chnming of the ocean) in which lies Adiesha, the serpent on whom Vishnu reclines. She is therefore at home there, while Bhudevi is not. Btmdevi therefore weeps

gifts,

for jealousy.

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

76

s

Cried in high heaven Cruel Tirumal While tears rained rivers on those hills, her breasts. !

The Alvar's friends console him by reminding' him that even Earth, who as a goddess might be expected to enjoy God continually, has to suffer the pains of parting,

though but for a time.

53. The prophet ess called in for advice gives her judgment as to the frenzy of the mistress and its cure. ',

)

The

pain of her with girdled breasts is good love of the glory of the heavenly lord Fan her with garlands of fair tulasi Divinely cool, or with a leaf of it, twig, its root e en dust wherein it grows

From

A

!

j

!

caused by desire for God can only be cured by God. The tulasi i? a figure for the companies of devout souls, contact with any of whom, in however slight a degree, will help In pain of heart that

is

to assuage the Alvar's grief,

The mis Ires s sends

54.

beetles

on a message

to the lord.

me

to the flowery feet Beetles, who'll take Of him who stole and ate the ghi, and did 1

Such deeds as men may blame, my lord, and heaven's^ Fly with your whirring wings (easy your way To heaven 1) tell me what ye will say, and go The Alvar seeks the aid of others who in familiar access to God can !

intercede for him, and he asks for the solace of will say to God on his behalf.

The mistress

56.

tells

knowing what they

her friend that the lord has msited

her* 2

grace of him who swallowed the broad worlds Safety and bliss we've won Friend, no more fear 3 cool south wind has come and secretly,

By

\

!

A

With honey sweet

of tulasi 's fair bloom, 4 Rain-like caressed Hmbs and ornaments.

my

In union with God the Alvar enjoys the consciousness that also rejoices in him. 1

The

God

reference is to Krishna's childhood and youth. note on stanza 20. Shy to say directly that he has come, she speaks of a south wind * from him. Coolly and bounteously. 2

a

cf.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

77

57. The lord excuses his passion by speaking of the beauty of his mistress eyes y in answer to his friends* criticism. 1

Like fighting fish, by creeper kept apart In lotus-face fair ear-ringed, do they move And spear-like gaze No one \vill blame who saw !

Me moved by them

that

Hke

day

to the sea 2

churned by Kannan's hand Only those who have never had the vision of God can scoff at the devout, and those who see him are themselves converted to a like

Foaming with

nectar,

!

T devotion. (The fighting of the fishes S5 mboIises the conflict within the mind between different Interpretations of the vision that the Alvar has. They are saved from final inconsistency by the preponderance of some thought which is able to solve all doubts.) J

e

58, Her friend consoles the mistress by speaking of the greatness of the lord : her ca,se> difficult though if seems to her, is easy for him to solve.

One

one filled the sky foot ganged all the earth 3 What Is there here for him Overshadowing all To measure on high in heaven, the radiant lamp Of all-pervading wisdom, unsurpassed, With eyes like lotus blooming in the inire ? ;

!

1

Friends console the Alvar by reminding greatness of God.

59.

The foster-mother

pities,

the

Mm

manifold

of the

mistress^ unable

to

endure the length of the night*

This child of

sinful

Round

me, with well-formed teeth, These

breasts and rosy mouth, keeps saying" Fair nights eternal are as my desire Lord of great rich plains For tulasi !

*

O

With swelling

sea,

O

Madhnsudana!*

4

*

Friends are fitted with sympathy at the length of the Alvarts dark of Ms life, night of the soul. The teeth symbolise the growing purity the red lips the ardour of Ms love. 3

1

The 2 z 4

Her eyes are like fish in their quick and beautiful movement. creeper that separates them is her noseFor the churning of the ocean by Vishnu, see note on stanza 51. In the Tri-Vikrama avatara. Vishnu slew the demon, Madhu, and is hence called Madhtisu-

dana.

7

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

78

60. The fosier-mother pities the mistress' youth ; it is too soon for her to he thinking of a lord ; she is love-sick while sfill but a child.

Breasts not yet full, and short her tresses soft ; Skirt loose about the waist with prattling tongue And innocent eyes r 1 (so that one says The world J2 is't right that she repeats ) price for these 3 Is Vengadam the hill of Perumal ? ;

A

\

'

*

The Alvar

is

reminded by Ms friends that he has not yet reached makes possible the full union

the state of spiritual maturity which with God for which he longs.

Her

61.

greatness

friend consoles the mistress by speaking of the

and condescension of

How can we

speak

In ancient heaven

He

:

? 4

the lord.

Our king; is lord of those him all heaven's lords 5 adore

:

two strides the whole globe measured 6 So that no stick-point's space escaped 'twas he Who came to birth among the cowherd folk 7 in

:

!

It is not for men to presume to gracious in his manifestations.

62.

Her

criticise

God, so great and so

friend speaks to the lord of the mistress' inand pleads with him to be gracious.

consolability

Howe'er one pleads that she

Is

but a

The

O 1

All

8

girl,

black sea pities not but roars on still thou cloud-coloured, serpent-couched, is't meet !

marks

of immaturity,

though each

is

beautiful

enough

in

Itself. -

Contrast stanza 11, where her beauty is spoken of as equal in value to the world. The reference is to her eyes. 3 She can do nothing but repeat the name of her lord and think of his abode, Tirupa-ti. 4 cf p 73, note 2. i.e,, of emancipated souls :

a

Brahma

.

minor gods still in bondage. In the Tri-Vikrama avatara there was not room even for a thin T stick to stand. In the Krishna avatara. 8 The idea here is not of immaturity as in stanza 60, but of her being a woman and therefore claiming consideration. etc.

B

*

V

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

79

For tfaee to slight her here, who by thy grace Alone can henceforth keep her chastity ? Those who are worldly (symbolised by the sea) persist in their disturbing clamour, and yet God.jrfao became incarnate to be accessible to inan> does not respond to the Alvar's cry be Is in danger of bein^ overpowered, and his friends intercede for lain. :

63.

The mistress speaks

to

her friend who ^

/ins criticised

the lord*

Eat his red eyes, 1 with gaze so kind that heaven Is glad, bright like a cool, soft lotus pool,

Enter

my

For the

And

heart and kindle there

my

love

fair face of Kanrtan,

even

Lakshmi's lord, abide with me, Ms slave

now

!

When the Alvar hears God grace winch he actually enjoys.

criticised

he

is

stirred to recall the

64. The mistress speaks wistfully to her friend of she finds some solace in uttering the name of her lord during his absence.

In Vedic hymns earth's gods 2 give worship due the sacred feet of him who strode the world. 2 So I with untamed passion, and in grief At deeds and self, 4 repeat his sacred name,

To

Like one who lacking ripe eats

fruit unripe.

5

Deprived of the bliss of perfect union with God, the Alvar yet finds corsolation in the repetition of his sacred name* 1

Eyes are red with love

2

I.e., *

'

s

Brafamacs.

In grief at deeds,

cf, stanza 2, note 9. In the Tri-Vikrama incarnation,

5

i.e.,

:

his past

karma

* ;

and

self/ ie., bis preset^

birth. 5

There

is

perhaps here in Hne 5 an apologetic reference to the use

hymns an L I cf. staaza 94 (cf Erishnaswamy Aiyangar, Early History of Vaishnavtsm in South India, p. So). Or the reference may be to Ms own limitations of birth as a Sndra, txsakicg it impossible for hint to tse the Vedic expressions. of Tamil, as contrasted with the Sanskrit of the

:

.

8

HYIdXS OF THE ALVARS

80

The lord

66.

for

replies to a friend's criticism of his iniatuamistress. \ Lord $ta?ids for ike Aliar s mistress for ike Ahar.}

his

'

friends,

3

Those

The

Who

red, eyes of her fire

a

life of me the heaven of him 2 wind, sky and earth

which are the

lilies

who

and water

3

s like

is,

3

So shine that even meditating seers, Who neither eat nor sleep, must think

of

them.

4

The Alvar's power of vision of God Is so fine that even ascents habituated by long discipline to disregard objects that appeal to the It is not senses, are compelled to give their admiring attention to him only his friends who find life in association with him. ;

69. Her friend consoles the mzstress, at the approach of night*

The

who

miserable

is

by the red stm-bull out for victory Grieve not If bracelets slip oh thou with swelling breasts Will he who strode the earth, our lofty lord, Leave thee, this wretched eve, without his grace bull of darkness

Worsted,

is

!

!

3

?

His friends console the Alvar, who is grieving for lack of conscious fellowship with God ; God's character as shown in the Dwarf incarnation is a pledge of his grace.

70. The mistress laments the length of the night.

Like days, months, years, and ages

crowding- nights pale for tulasi Sweet garland on the head of heaven's lord With the curved discus Now to destroy me quite

Have come,

to

make me I

Comes

this

one night, a thousand ages long

!

In spite of his Mends, the Alvar cries out impatiently at the length of time he is cut off from enjoyment of God.

1

2 8

Of me *; literally, who am bound by sinful actions. God pervades all the elements, which form a body for him. Yogis, who by austerity have gained immunity from the snares f

*

7

of the senses. *

The

strength even of their mental concentration cannot guard

them from her charms.

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

81

71. The mistress urges her friends to intercede, for her with her mother who suspects her unreasonably. ^

i spake not of him as the lord of time/ World-swallowing. Seeing: a kalam fruit I said Its colour *s like the sea Ah, shameless one My mother cried Like the world-swallower '

1

*

!

' !

(

:

Yon mean

J

1

Oh, clear

my name

to her,

my

friends

!

The Aivar wishes his friends to understand that If he has spoken in praise of God'? attributes, it is not that lie is attaching undue importance to them, or depending on them or his own efforts he has not forsaken the v;ay of utter dependence on God himself for any other way. :

72. The mistress* unable to endure the darkness further vs&ed by the appearance of the moon*

^

is

yet

let the crescent moon which cleaves the dark Encompassing of night, cleave me as well Ah, does it issue forth in brightness now* That happy bloom may come to desolate me

Oh,

!

Who

only long for flowers of tulasi

1

1..U1.

asperating knowledge.

74. The mistress speaks to Jur friend of her joy at the scent of tulasi , betokening the lord* $ approach. r

A

soft

south breeze is "blowing; that has played his head who knows

On tulasi upon

Ms great eyes closed in sleep* 2 reclined On breaking waves the lord who gulped the world Who did a mount uproot and hold for shade P

All things,

;

:

The Alvar is filled with joy as he receives a fresh reminder of the grace and power of God. 1

He

is

2

As

in the

not affected by time as everything in this world is. recumbent form at Siirangam or as the babe Krishna redining on the leaf of the banyan. 3 When as Krishna he protected the cowherds from the wrath of

Icdra with Mount GovarShana.

;

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

82

The lord expresses

75.

Ms

his

3

J

tress

wonder at Afoars

('JLord stands for the for the Alvar.)

mistress.

Ye

the beauty of i

devotees

?nis-

,

1

bright-faced ones, with crael bow that darts like shining nsh, to pierce life

Arrows

my

:

your abode the heaven where dwell the thralls Of him whose bed's the sea with fragrant waves That toss curved shells ? Or is your home this earth ? The Aivar's devotees are amazed at his joy, and wonder whether Is

he

Is

not more than man.

The mistress not having received the garland far which she longs, speaks with loathing of the moonlight. 76.

Oh, crazy for a wreath of tulasi Heart Full of his beauty who, pervading space, Measured the world is't strange that the white That shuts the lotus fine and opes the lily In poison spreads for my white bracelet's sake ? !

!

!

The Alvar again grieves because his knowledge of union with him brings no satisfaction. 77. is

The mistress complains that

the

God

moon

without

pain of evening time

unendurable*

While her

fair moon-child wails, sad Evening Beside the blood-red battle field where fell

2

stands

Her lord red-sceptred helped by tulasi (My heavenly lord's, who fought in Southern Lanka I) She tortures me, to snatch away my bloom :

!

The Alvar again complains that at a time when everything conspires to fill him with passionate desire for union with God, he should be left desolate.

78.

the lord

The mistress grieves as she thinks of the might of

who has parted

from, her.

Not mine to sound the mighty power which slew 3 Tormenting Naraka, and Vanan's arms *

3

The Alvar and Ms companions. Evening is pictured as a widow mourning the

son, -with the 3

Demons

moon slain

loss of

as her child.

by Vishnu (Vanan rr BanaSura).

her lord the

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES Destroyed

!

My

(Worn by my Has gone and

83

on tulasi bent, shines like a black hill)

foolish heart,

lord

who

me

left

nothing: but this pain

!

The Alvar

could reconcile himself in despair to his present condition, but his heart is beyond his control and thus causes his pain.

79, The mistress speaks wistfully of the bliss of those who never part from the lord. More blest than heavenly ones are they who praise The Lord who's mighty in the Veda wears The sacred thread whom heavenly ones adore ;

Who gulped the world, and

Whose

cool couch

The Alvar

is

over-strode the earth the snake i the milky sea

;

!

covets the unbroken felicity of those

who

are ccn-

80. TJie mistress in her lonelimss laments the of the darkness.

coming

tinnaily with God, even in this world.

Like a great king who rules for his brief day Of glory, and is dead, the sun is hidden. O King: who strode the earth, thou Lord of heaven,

Unequall'd, though thou'st left me guilefully ; Tormenting night has come. Ah, show thy grace! The Alvar again complains that knowledge without union is tor-

ment.

82.

The mistress

with sorrow as she

recalls the

realises the

beauty of the lord's glance pain it now causes her.

Like to the rising on the hill of dawn Of two red fiery suns at once, his eyes Even on us1 blaze down as if again 2

The Can

giants fell into the burning red be he who makes the xvhole world !

this

The Alvar man-els that the very quality devotion now catses him stich anguish.

of the worship of the stm

they

fell.

ia

bloom

?

God which won Us

by Biahnslns, a Sre was created

into

which

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

84

**

The

83.

mistress friend despairs at sight of her languish-

ing, 1

The

deep-toned annf cherishes Its mate Ever before her eyes, in a thorny nest On the courtyard palm. Ah as she sobs and lisps The cloud-hued's names, I know not if shell live Or If her frame and spirit mild must pass -

!

!

His friends wonder if the Alvar can survive lack of conscious conzETiirJon with God, reminded as tie is by common tilings of the bliss he is

losing.

84. The mistress pleads for sight of her lord, even if she may not be alone with him.

E'en among groups of beauteous girls, or in The festivals of the great or anywhere 'Tis thee that I would gaze upon, with disc Of gold and conch all white within thy hand, Thou dark-hued one, thou Sapphire, Pearl my Gem The Alvar prays that If he cannot continue to enjoy personal commtniion with God he may at least see him, even if it be among !

others.

The mistress niourns

85.

the

coming of night.

Thou who didst stride the world, Gem, Emerald, Thou Gold well-tried, incomparable One, At evening" when the golden sun has gone. Fighting the dark

Thy

slave,

The Alvar 86,

my

life,

a ruby 'gainst an ape I" thine own, I bring to thee

!

seeks protection from God.

The mistress grieves at her separation from the

lord,

He 1

3 when he begged with bowl skuH of Brahma lotus-sprung

rescued Hara

Unsavoury

A bird famed as a type of marital devotion.

The precious sunlight seems at nightfall away for nought in conflict -with the darkness. 3

!

to

have been thrown

3 'Siva, condemned to beg with Brahma's skull as was delivered by Vishnu's grace.

his

begging bowl,

TRANSLATIONS AND NOTES

85

He wields the disc and conch 'twas he who wept When his nurse 1 beat him butter-thief one day :

!

How

then shall

The Alvar comforts of grace to

others,

I

of

him make

2 !

my complaint ?

by recalling God's extraordinary acts extraordinary condescension to man's

himself

and

his

weakness.

87.

The friend rebukes the lord for Ms neglect of

his

mistress,

The parted anrif^ mournful

note, the roar O' the foaming sea, flooding the flowery marsh This thing and that, grieving this girl divine

Who

sings the virtues of thy mighty bird thy work, for all the world to blame

Is this

The

Alvar's friends are

?

God

for leaving his devotee without the consolation of his presence, and allowing him to be tormented by common sights and sounds.

88.

critical

of

The mistress grieves on being reminded

of the lorcfs

form.

Mount Meru's

like the Lord of Bliss the sun the discus blest in his blest hand How can sin hinder me, who seeing but These likenesses of him, lisp of his form And tokens, with unparalleled desire ?

On

is Is

:

it,

!

The Alvar reassures himself that he must be delivered from sin the barrier between himself and God in that, debarred though lie from sight of God, he yet sees symbols of hiro on every hand, and thereby stirred to praise him. 39.

The mispress

impatiently for union with the

cries

lord.

When

shall I join

my

lord,

who

poison

is

For evil deeds, and nectar for the good ? 4 Husband of her who haunts the lotus-bloom/ 1

'

1

foster-mother, i.e., YaSoda. 8 cf. stanza 66. episode of Krishna's childhood. i.e., he destroys the evil (the results of previous activity) develops the good in his devotee (his present love to God). 3 Vishnu's consort is Lakshini, who springs from the lotus. Literally,

2

4

An

and

HYMXS OF THE ALVARS

86

Cowherd who thought no scorn

to graze the cows s overpaced the world in his two strides

Who

The Alvar cannot understand why he God so gracioiis.

The mistress

90.

2 :

I

unable

is

to

Is

barred from union with

endure separation from

the

lord*

Lord

of the Disc

When I To win

which demons put to flight, wond'rous penance wrought

review

my

a

fit

body

Upon my head, Have I of thee,

for thee, thy feet still no hold time seems eternity

yet see that

1

considering- how all his efforts in previous births have still not brought him to full union with God is filled with dismay as he faces the future.

The Alvar

The mistress

91.

asserts her unbroken fidelity to Uie lord.

None my heart longs for save the thief who touch 'd And ate the butter in the dosepacked hoops Him of the belly huge who at a gulp Swallow'd the world the trickster who as Dwarf, :

Gain'd the three steps great Bali granted him. Though he has not yet attained full bliss, the Alvar can nevertheless give himself to none other than God who showed his grace in sundry incarnations.

94. The lord's friend* having seen the mistress, apolohim for having spoken critically to him of his cmiduct. gises to

O thou with body black, red-lotus-eyed, None

save the learned seers of pious life feet e'en with their heads. Like village cows, so lows the blind cow too And I have spoken : what else can I say ?

Can touch thy sacred *

J

:

The Alvar is humble about his own knowledge of God after all he can only repeat what holy men have said, Possibly there is a reference to the inferiority of Tamil to Sanskrit as a medium for the :

highest truth, 1

cf.

stanza 64, note 5.

In the Krishna avatara.

2

la the

Vamana

avatara.

RANSLATIONS AND NOTES

87

96. The mistress determines to proclaim her passion for the lord.

Many a different way of worshipping" And many clashing creeds from different And in the many creeds their many gods

minds,

O

Thou'st made, spreading abroad thy form them Matchless, I will proclaim my love for thee The Alvar Is resolved to proclaim God everywhere, as the One who in the various sects is partially expressing himself, and who is to be worshipped supremely by the way of love. !

!

The

97.

mistress parted from

the

lord suffers

from

sleeplessness.

There's nought but grief for those

whoVe

looked and

looked

At dawn and

sunset, age succeeding age But can sleep ever come to those who gaze Joyful with mighty passion rare, at Mai Eternal, whom adoring gods surround ? There is no real joy for those who give their attention even rnost beautiful things of this world. The Alvar, however, in the of

God

finds

a joy that banishes even

sleep.

The mistress* friend speaks lord's wonderful condescension.

93. ike

to the vision

to Jier

comfortingly of

From

sleepless seers and others who adore away the pain of endless births The mystery of the mighty form of him, * butter-thief Unique and self-dependent Hard e'en for gods to grasp that slighting word

He

takes

:

*

!

!

His friends remind the Alvar of God's amazing condescension : the one who is beyond all understanding took upon him the form of a mischievous child, even to the extent of stealing. The esoteric meaning of his pilfering baffles even the gods ; "but at least it shows infinite condescension to man's weakness,

99.

The mistress assures her friend of her constancy. words there be, what matters it ? good have I beheld save him boar-shaped saved the mighty earth from flood,

If slighting

Nought

Who

else that's

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

88

And wisdom The Karpak The Alvar world

:

gave 1

tree,

who dwell where grows men and all beside.

to those

to

asserts again his

his faith is

proof against

in sneers.

faith

all

God, the saviour of the

Conclusion, wherein appears the fruit of meditation

100.

on this kymn,

Who

scan these hundred flowers, the wreath of words,

The prayer of Maran. Whose wreath's the

of

famed Knrukur

feet of saints

names They In deceptive matter

who name

Mai's

shall not sink

Thick with the mire of deeds that lead to birth The poet having laid the tribute of his verse at God's feet says that those who follow what he has said will Hud deliverance from rebirth. !

1

A

tree in Indira's heaven, yielding all that

men

desire.

APPENDIX

I

SYSTEM OF TRANSLITERATION AND PRONUNCIATION OF TAMIL LETTERS

CONSONANTS The Tamil alphabet

not fully phoneth,

3 are the Sanskrit Several letters indicate different sounds in different connections. is

and the other Dravidian, alphabets.

]1.

When mnie

In tjiebeg^n;2. a soft Letter ninff of a word consonant ,3. After a hard consonant ,

;

_

In other places

1

Remarks

1

1

Guttural.

ch * t

This

ft)

prcnousced

is

as

a

in

V a

palatal sibilant. Cerebral, far back palate,

Dental

English

p

Labial.

purer

than

tie

i

U

P

ft)

dentals.

:

Hani

palatal

r

peculiar

to

Tarnl as proisotinced after a scft consonant

90

HYMNS OF THE ALVARS

!

as

in

English,

but not so firm 1

r

pronounced the

with

Peculiar to

Tamil

tongue as far back in the throat as possible. 1

pronounced by

Palatal

1

the -oalate Sanskrit words, tnaless they have become modified by long Tamil usage, are transliterated according to Sanskrit pronunciation, on the system used in other books in this series, the Sanskrit alphabet being represented as follows :

INDEX Devaki, 56-

DI-gESHA,

22, 36, 50, 52, 65,

75.

Devaram,

4.

Devas, 73.

Advalta,

7, 8.

Agastya,_42.

Alavandar,

Dr.

PARQUHAR,

IS.

N., is.

j.

Alvarrlr-nagarl, 12. Amalan-adi-piran, 16.

Anazchattan, 52.

Andal, 14, 21, 27, 49-57. Anirudba, 36, 72. Artaryamin, 23. Araiyar, 20. Archa, 23. 4.

Asuras,

Godai, 57. Gokula, 50,51.

S

Aypadi, 50.

Gillian, 41,

Balarama, 50, 54. 22,23,38, 85.

Bali, 4,

Bana (Banasura), Bhagavad Git a, Bhagavata,

22, 36, 72, 82.

3-7.

23.

Bhagavata Pnrana, Bhakti Marga, 6

18, 19, 59.

Biradevi, 62, 74, 75. Bhutattalvir, 11.

\

22, 45 S 58, 67, 78, 84. Brafaman-Atman, 5. Brahmanas, 4. Buddha/10, 17, 23. Buddhism, 7 12, 15.

Brahma,

25,

60.

DADARI1 3S.

*-*

r

66."

Goplnatha Rao, T. A v 11. Govardhana, 39, 67, 31. Govinda, 37, 56 57 ._ Go\iac3acharva Svamin, A.,

'

Arjiina, 43.

Ganges, 41. Ganida, 17, 22, 38, 42 51, 59, 62,

,

^

OAXOIAN,41.

,

(Siva), 84.

KiranyakaSip-Z, 22, 35. Hrishike5a 17, 35.

Hubn,

42.

INDRA,

1

45,67,

Indradynmna,

..

42,

(Hrfefcikega), 35.

IAINS 712 t

*

10-

Hara

Hari (Vishnu), 35^ 52. Hiranya. 74.

___ *f -fc*

>

it*

r

15.

^

Jnaca Marga,

*^*

5.

Jamrsa* 51.

Calxinism, 23. ,

14.

43.

KALA, Kalfei,

Chera, 47.

Conjeevaram,

11, 17, 6S,

? Devadevi,

51.

15.

23.

Kalj^aa, 36. Kama, 15, 44, 64. Kaiiisa, 22, 23, 34, 43, 52, 54, 56, 62.

INDEX * *v

-T

OT D*^^

jri.ct^ ct* "*

4

i-V

Jl^i

*-*-j

K ancT-i,

^tJ

^ O^ H iZ, -/ , 2o. *

-

Kanzan

-#

Mylapore,

11.

(Krishna), 61, 64, 65. 63, "

MACCHIYAR TIRUMOL1,

27, 30

Kanna,

1

4. _ _ ^saa-chittn 45. Nallyira Prabandham, 10. 13, 17,

S3.

Karpak,

20,'

Kaveri, 15, 17, 63.

Kesavan,

Krishna, 3, 5, 3, 14, IS, 20, 23, 25, "27, 29 34,37,38,39,43,44,45,

49-56,58,59,61,62, 67 76, 78, 81,85,86. Krisbnaswamy Aiyangar, Prof. S

~9-

S., 11,

Masekara

Alvar, 13, 24, 44-48.

Xiimbakonam,

12.

Krmnda Valll,

16.

T-nrmQ ixwliiicl,

Namonarayana, 35, 37. Nandagopa, 49, 54, 55. Nanmukham-Tiruvandadi, 12,

27*

Nappinnai, 49, 54, 55, 62, 67. 82.

Naraka, Narasimha,

22, 35, 74.

Narasimhavarman I., Narayana, 9, 17, 25, ^atbannmi, 10. Negapatam, 17

99 <

AKSH^LANA,

L*

5S-

11.

27, 35, 44,

50,~52. .

Nila, 16.

Ku-okur. 12 SS. !

21,

SS.

45.

!n5ri

26, 43.

Nanrnalvar, 12-13, IS,

52, 57.

Nila Devi, 55. Kityas, 61, 73.

41,

Lakshnri, 17, 22, 24, 37, 44,

55-58,62,63,75,79,85. Laiika (Ceylon), 35, 53, 71, 82.

Loka Saranga Haha Muni,

15, 16.

DANCHAJANYAil, *

Pancharatra, 9

Pandya,

34.

.

14.

Parakalar, 17.

\AADHU, i1

ParankuSam,

22, 77.

dan

,

Madura, 14,26,57. Mai (Vishnu), 24 37, 56, S

57, 70,

71,74,87.

Mamallai (Mahabalipuxazn), Mandangudi, 15,

Mayan, 12, 13, 88, Maian, 44 64. MargaH, 50, 51.

Pattar-piran, 14, 57. Pera, 23. 14, 15, 20, 25, 33, 37 Periyalvar, "

11.

Periya TImmadal 17. Periya T!rainoli _l7 27, 38, 40. Periya Tiruvandadi, 13. t

)

J

Pertrmal, 65, 78. Perumal Tlrumoli, 14, 44, 45, 47,

}

Maxfcandeya, 43.

Mathavan, 52, 57. Matbnra, 36, 51. Matbnrakavl, 12, 13,18. Matsya, 22.

Peruman, 72. Pey Alvar, 11,

24,

Polytheism, 9, Poonarnailee, 12. Poykai Alvar, 11, 22, 24.

PraMada,

22.

Pralaya, 65. ,

85.

Moami,

64,

:

57.

Mallas, 34.

Mandaragiri, 75.

12.

Parasnraina, 23.

77.

Pundarikaksba, 18

INDEX

93

Tirurnal, 63, 70, 76. Tirumalai, 15.

Puranas, 9, 18, 20. Putana, 38, 52, 62.

Tirumalisai Alvar, 12, 27.

Tirumangai

DADHA,49,55,

^

Rama,

3,

14, 23, 25, 41,

13,

53,71.

Ramamigra, 18. Ramanujacnarya,

10,

3, 4, 6, 8,

28, 35. 18,_2Q, 23, 24, 26, 13, 41.

-eAIVISM,

17.

Tirupati, 19, 23, 45, 46, 59, 69 7 74, 78. 14, 19, 26, 27, 33-

37.

23, 24, 44.

Tiruppalli-_Yeluchi, 15. 15, 16, 26 27. Tiruppavai, 15, 19, 21, 49-57.

Tiruppan Alvar,

Tiruvachakam,

S

4.

TirnvaH, 16. Tirnvabdadi, 12, 22, 24. Trravasiriam, 13.

9, 15, 20.

Sakadam, 52. Sambandhar, 17. Sandhya, 33. Sankaracfaarya,

TirumoM, 14,_37. TirDnedun-Tandaham,

TiruppaUandu,

Ramayana,

Rangaaatha, 15-17, Ranganayaki, 17. Ravana, 23, 53. Rig Veda, 59.

A"lvar, 16, 17, 27, 29 S

38, 40.

Timvaymoli, 13, 58. Tiruveruktitrirakkai, 17.

3, 6, 7, 54.

Tirtrvirottain, 13, 19, 21, 24, 28,

Santhipinl, 43.

58-88.

garnga 22,37,51. Sathagopan, 12.

Tiravonam, 35, 36. Tondaradippodi AJvar,

Satva, 67.

Travancore, 13.

J

15, 29.

Selva, 36. ^

Triplicane, 12.

Sesbagiri Sastri, 10.

Tri-Vikrama, 4 23, 38, 73, 77, 78,

Sifaall,

17

S

79.

.

Siriya Tlnimadal,

17.

ri

(Lakshmi), 22, 25, 34, 62, 63,

75,

Snrangam,

^IPANISHADS, Urvasi,

T

Sita, 14, 41, 71.

Siva, 4, 5, 12, 24, 43, 45, 46, 58, 84.

14, 15, 17, 19, 23, 24,

5, 6, 8.

47.

Usha, 36.

WADAGALAI, 28, 33. v Vadari, 38, 39. Vaikuntha, 22, 45, 52, 69. Valiabha Deva, 14. Vamana, 4, 22, 38, 50 T 54, 72,

^26,29,41-44,46,68,81. Sntaran, 37. ri-Vaishnavas, 10, 19, 24.

86.

gri-vatsa, 22.

"Vanan, 36, 82. VaradazajaSviini, 17, 23, 24.

grivfflipntttir, 14, 57, Sumukha, 42.

Varaba, 22.

Vamna,

Svarga, 24,45,58.

4.

Vasadeva, 23. *

VastiM, 75,

23, 33.

TIni-Cchanda-Viruttam Tirukkumngndl, 18

Tirukottiyu^se. Tiruktirun-Tandaliam, 17.

s

12.

Vayn, 41. Vedanta Deika f

28.

Vehka, 6B. 43111,37,45,46,58, 69, 78,

4

INDEX

Venkatcsvara, 23, 55. VIbbava, 23. Vipra Narayana, 15, Vishnu, passim. Vishnu-cbittar, 14, 36

Vraia, 19. ;

ViSisfatadvaita, 6, 8, IS, 25. Vitruvakodu, 47, 48.

Vyuha.

23.

_

S. .

pda, 37 49,54,56,85 ,

V

WHS',"

,"

17.

1^114,

WESLEYAK Mosras

PRESS,

IXY

1929